Sex, Drugs and True Love
by Mizzy681
Summary: Joined fic with LegacyChick. Mafia-Style. Characters: Cody, Randy, Ted, Jericho, Mike, Jake and many many more. And yes, it's slash, and sometimes brutal, and has bad language. So it's rated M for a very good reason.
1. An Usual Workday

**So, this is my first joined fic together with LegacyChick. That many may follow. It's a lot different than what we both usually write, and it's a lot of fun to write. If you think, hey I've already read this on LegacyChick's profile... well, you're right, we've been bad and posted it on both profiles ;)**

**Hopefully the first chapter will be explanation enough for the whole story. If not, just send your questions to either one of us or even better put them in a nice, long review :P**

**We're using their real names (well, at least for most of them) in this fic, so if you don't know who's who, look them up at Wikipedia.  
**

**Enjoy it!**

**Warning: Slash, Abuse, Drug Use, Violence, Blood, "Bad" Language, Sex**

**Disclaimer: We own none of the wrestlers, though we would pay good money for them (well at least some of them). We own most of the muses and we love them to the moon and back, though some others will never set a foot into either one of our brains (hopefully).**

* * *

**Chapter 1: A usual workday**

"Meow"

At first, he did not hear it, too damn tired to even recognize anything as he was walking through the empty streets at 5 am. Fucking 5 am. Ever since he had the job -or lets call it pleasure- his whole sleeping-rhythm was messed up. The ravenette-haired, young mans eyes were still half closed as he was on his way to the abandoned house, his work-place, his life, the kitten running after him -or rather right next to him- and the tiny mewling-noises not bothering him at all as he was cursing Randy for waking him at such an unholy time.

Why did he need the damn drugs now? Could he not have waited a few more hours? Maybe till noon? Oh well, wishful thinking. Cody knew exactly not to mess with Randy. When the boss wanted something, he got it, or else you would be in deep, deep shit.

As he passed the last corner, only inches away from their lab, he finally heard it.

"Meow!"

It startled him a little. I mean, who would not be startled at that time of the day, in the dark, in that part of town when they heard a noise, any noise? It was not really the safest place to be during nighttime, hell not even during the day.

Turning around, his ebony-brown lashes fluttering fully open, he spotted the small kitten -a mix of white and grey, tiny to say the least, looking as if it did not eat in weeks, wide green orbs blinking up at him. He could not help but smile softly at it, eyeing it suspiciously, as if he had never seen a cat before.

It took him a bit to register that the kitten did not have a tag, probably belonged to no one. At least that would explain the state it was in. Slowly reaching down, his large palm, long, lean fingers petted its head gently, the kitten instantly leaning into the touch, a small, pleased purr escaping its throat.

"You must be kidding me, Codes! You can't keep a fucking cat in the lab?"

The older man was fuming, running a hand through his hair, his icy-blue eyes glaring at the tiny kitten in Cody's lab as it was peacefully sleeping, Cody's palm laying gently on the small form as if to protect it.

"Why not, Randy? Please!"

He fluttered his lashes, ocean-blue eyes pleading, begging with his best puppy-dog look, lips forming the sexiest pout he got.

Randy cussed, shaking his head before he let out a long sigh.

"Don't do that to me, Cody Garrett Runnels!"

"Do what?"

The pout had turned into a mischievous grin as he looked up at his boss, his tongue snaking out on purpose to wet his lips, slowly, torturously, seductively.

Randy groaned, looking away from the young man, hands on his hips, the snicker from the back of the room not going unnoticed, but being ignored.

Mike watched the whole scene with interest, knowing exactly that Randy was only seconds away from giving in to his youngest employee, his protégé, the smartest kid in town. Besides himself, Cody was the only one who knew how to get to him, who knew how to manipulate him, though Cody rarely slept with the large, tanned and more than toned man -that was more his job.

"Fine!"

Cody grinned as Randy gave him the allowance, though he kind of had a feeling that he would have to pay for it later.

"But make sure Chris doesn't find it."

"His name's Teddy!"

Randy's head snapped up as his eyes widened. Clearly he must have heard wrong.

"What? You named the kitten Teddy?"

Cody's grin grew bigger as he nodded, the kitten in his lap slowly stirring to life, stretching its legs out, purring as Cody's lean finger started caressing its ears.

"Yepp…"

"You're one sick tease, boy."

He shrugged as Randy shook his head, grabbing the package from the table in front of Cody and turning around to leave.

"Stay here! I'll be back in an hour… I need another favor from you!"

As soon as the door slammed shut, Mike made his way over to Cody, kneeling down in front of him as he stared at the small heap in his lap, running a finger over its head, gaining a soft mewl.

"You know that he'll hate you for it?"

Cody glanced down, brow arched as he tilted his head; fingers still rubbing soft circles into the kitten's fur.

"Who?"

"Teddy, you idiot! You know he'll hate your guts for calling that kitten after him."

The brunette looked up at Cody, his hair a mess as always, dimples showing as he grinned at him, smacking his lips.

"But that's your plan, isn't it?"

His own grin matched Mike's as he just shrugged; turning back around in his chair to face the table again, kitten in his lap instantly jumping down onto the floor in slight shock of the fast action.

"Maybe…"

#

Both men followed the exploration of the kitten as it made his way through the lab. Sniffling a table leg here, carefully extending a paw and tapping a pen that lay on the ground, tail fierce up in the air and softly purring, as it seemed to like its new home. Suddenly the door flew open and two men stormed in, the kitten seemed to grow twice as big when all hairs stood up straight before it flew under a nearby closet.

"You wanted to see us, Mike?" the largest of the two asked. Mike smirked devilish as he looked at the huge blond, who got weak in the knees from that look. Cody giggled when he saw the way Jake stared at Mike. That guy was so lovesick it was pathetic. He wished he could get Teddy to kneel at his feet the way Jake worshipped Mike.

"Guys… I told you not to storm in here like that, now you've scared Teddy away."

Mike and Cody shared an amused grin before the youngest fell on his

knees and peeked under the closet. At the far end, two huge green eyes stared back at him.

"Come on Teddy; don't be scared, those big brutes are innocent."

He made sure he wriggled his well-defined ass, knowing that three pairs of eyes were focused on it. He extended his arm and grabbed the kitten from his hiding place.

He stood up and hugged the cat close, who was already purring.

"You are a sweet little thing, aren't you Teddy?"

He was directing his words to the kitten, but locked eyes with the man it was named after. Ted was frozen on the spot, his mouth hanging slightly open, a confused expression on his face.

"You're so easy to please, aren't you Teddy?"

He rubbed the kitten, which had climbed onto his shoulder, under its chin and the purring increased in volume.

"I wonder if I can make your namesake purr this easily too… You know I always thought I could, but he won't let me try."

Ted blushed a bright shade of red, finally understanding what was going on and he turned around to flee the room.

"Ted, where do you think you're going?"

Mike's voice had a cold ring to it.

Ted stopped, his back still turned to the lab, the doorknob in his hand. He bit his lip hard. You did not want to piss off Mike, not when you enjoyed your life. However, he could not be in the same room with Cody when he was acting like this. It made his stomach squirm, his head fog up and for some reason his pants felt too tight. Those naughty blue eyes, the seductive little pout, the way he purred at the kitten, the words obviously directed at him, it made him doubt everything he knew was good, "Our Father, which art in heaven…"

turning around he murmured the Lord's Prayer under his breath, hoping this would hold him steady. He missed the amused look Cody and Mike shared. The both of them had him tightly under their control, a mix of threats and flirting making him do anything they wished.

Now the teasing and the fun was over, Mike had changed his complete composure. He stood tall, his shoulders square, his expression was deadly serious. He stared the two blonds down. They might be bigger, they might be stronger, but there was no doubt who was in charge.

"We have a problem and I need you to take care of it as soon as possible. It's Cena again. He robbed Carlos of his entire stock."

"Are you sure that he didn't take it himself?"

Cody could not help asking. It was well known that Carlos used almost as much as he sold.

"Yeah… I'm quite sure he didn't beat himself up like that, and by the way he was whimpering; I believe him when he said he was held as gunpoint."

He turned his attention back to the two enforcers.

"He's gotta pay, both for the drugs he took as for the way he took it."

"Do you want him dead?" Jake asked matter-of-factly. Ted whimpered.

"No… Not if he pays up… Just break something… Make sure it's something that hurts like hell and is preferable permanent. Make it clear that this is his last chance. And if he doesn't pay…" Mike slid his hand from side to side in front of his throat. "He's armed now and I don't have to explain you how dangerous that is. And I have no idea where Stephen is. No one has seen him for weeks. So be careful."

Mike was not too happy about this; he felt like he was sending the two men into a lion's den. Cena on his own was bad enough; Cena armed and with the red barbarian nearby was nothing less than lethal. Those two were completely crazy, but they could not let this slip.

"Are you worried about me?" Jake stood only inches from him, while Ted was still frozen on the spot, whispering prayers. Teddy did not really like killing, something with one of the commandments.

"Ah Jakey-boy, I'm always worried about you."

Mike slid his hands across the broad chest to Jake's hips, he took another step closer and allowed Jake to kiss him. The moment their lips touched Mike took control of his mouth. He wrapped his hand in the blond hair forcing their lips together, grinding their crotches together. Jake moaned, his trousers already too tight, hands all over

the other. He never wanted this to stop again, he wanted to carry Mike to his bed, he wanted to fuck him here against the wall. However, Mike would not allow him any of these things. Mike smiled against Jake's lips as he felt the younger man become undone. It was so easy, even after all these years he had him right where he wanted him.

"You would be impossible to replace. So remember Jakey, if things get fucked up, you before Ted."

He pulled back to see if his blond understood what he meant. The slow nod reassured him and he rewarded Jake with another fierce kiss, tongues dancing, hand groping the blonde's groin, rubbing him with the

heel of his hand. The slow groans of the huge man were intoxicating and for a moment he thought about letting Jake suck him right here, right now. That they were not alone did not bother him at all, and he knew Jake would do anything he asked him. But there was work to do.

He pushed Jake away, "Enough, at least for now." He turned around to glare at Ted who was staring at them with bulging eyes, hands wrenching, his lips still moving in prayer.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped. "It's time to get going, go get ready!"

Ted still did not move, but Jake turned around and disappeared through the door that let to the weapon room. Mike moved like lighting and grabbed Ted by his collar, a vicious look in his azure eyes.

"If Jake gets hurt, I'll fucking kill you."

He pushed the young man away with considerate force leaving him stumbling and practically running away.

"Did you have to be so mean to Teddy?" Cody pouted. He had watched the scene before him with a mix of fascination and admiration.

"He needs a firm hand, Codes. If you gave him that you'd have him in your bed already."

"This way it's more fun. I love seeing him squirm. But if you kill him, I'll never have him under me. Would you really?"

Mike shrugged, "Ted's replaceable, Jake isn't."

"He's quite the adoring puppy, isn't he?"

"A lethal puppy that is, on a tight leash and securely muzzled."

Mike grinned, his eyes locked on Jake who had just come out the room, playing with two guns trying to decide which one to use. He loved it when Jake was - literally - dressed to kill: Dark blue jeans hugged his long, well proportioned legs, a dark sweater hung loose around his broad chest, hood already pulled over his head hiding his blond locks. He couldn't wait to have him in his room later, letting Jake strip him naked, maybe even letting him fuck him with those clothes still on.

"How do you do it?" Cody could not resist asking, begging Mike to share some of his secrets, "I mean, everyone does what you want to, even Randy and Chris."

"It's quite easy Cody." Mike smirked raising his eyebrow at his young friend.

The boy was promising and it would be fun to teach him, just a little bit, to see if he could master the true art of manipulation.

"You need to find out what someone wants more than anything in this world. It could be anything: money, drugs, sex, power, fame, love; when you know that… the other belongs to you."

"What does Jake want?" Cody hung on his lips, the explanation sounded simple, logical and oh so tempting.

"Me!" Mike smirked when he made looked at his lover, "Wanna know what Teddy wants?" Cody nodded enthusiastically, chewing his lips, mind already working on how to use that secret against him.

"You know Codes," Mike stroked the ravenette's cheek with the back of his hand, "I could teach you. You and me together, in a year or so we can rule this joint. Randy and Chris will be reduced to merely puppets. God knows we already do all the work. You're in?"

Cody nodded again.

"Good… but first you need to show me you can do it. Find out what Teddy wants more than anything."

He signaled Jake to follow him. He needed to talk strategy with him, to reduce the risks as much as possible. He wondered where Ted had gone. Angel-boy was probably crying in the bathroom again. He did not get how a guy like that could be part of a criminal organization; in Mike's eyes, Ted was a liability, he had a fucking conscience. The only reason he was here was because Randy wanted it. But it wasn't Randy who bothered to keep him under control, it

was not fucking Randy who had to keep him on a tight leash of drugs and death threats. No, Mike wouldn't mind if Ted would drop dead sometime soon, but he hated to get his hands dirty… not to mention that it would give Randy a foul mood and Randy was dangerous enough when he was happy.

#

Ted was just using the bathroom, Cody deep in thoughts, concentrating on the formula for the pills Randy had asked for a few days ago. He still had not figured out that last small part that he was missing. Thankfully enough, as long as he was figuring it out, he could use Dustin -his half-brother- as his victim. The guy was too damn dumb to even realize if the pills did not work. He was way too far gone anyways.

Just as he was about to write down another idea, a large, rough palm clamped down on his shoulder. Startled, he glanced back over his shoulder, looking in the icy-cold blues of his mentor, his boss.

"Geez Randy… give me some warning the next time."

He was greeted with the older mans trademark smirk, big hand tightly squeezing his shoulder as he leaned down to brush his nose over his golden boys skin, rubbing it on his neck, moaning at the sweet scent of vanilla on the soft flesh.

"Hmm, Codes… you knew I'd come back… why so surprised now?"

He huffed, turning around in his chair to fully face the dark tanned male, Cheshire grin plastered on his full lips.

"You want something special or just came here to talk?"

In an instant, he felt the two large palms grabbing his biceps, pulling him out of his seat and turning him around, chest colliding with the wooden-desk as he was bent over, one arm twisted behind his back as he yelped in surprise, the low growl close to his ear sending shivers of anticipation through his body.

"Oh boy… you know what I came for… don't play innocent."

He could feel Randy's free hand ghosting down his back, over his side, his abs, down to his waistband, before roughly pressing his palm to Cody's crotch, gaining a low moan from the younger male.

"You're really a sick fuck, Codes… you like being taken rough, huh? Don't ya?"

Cody just managed a small whimper as Randy's pressure on his jeans-covered groin increased and he could feel himself rapidly hardening under the touch. Maybe he was really a sick fuck for liking it, but god damn, he knew exactly how good sex with Randy always was and it was more the anticipation turning him on than anything else.

The hand soon left his crotch, lean, skilled fingers making quick work of his button and zipper, yanking the material of Cody's jeans together with his boxers roughly down to his knees, a whine escaping his protégées pouty lips.

"Damn Randy… I'm not your bitch… I'm not Mike. Go a lil easy!"

The hot breath ghosting over his ear, the large palm clamping down on his bare ass -making him yelp once again- made him almost forget about the man in the bathroom, almost.

"No, you're not. You've feelings, darling… and… your ass is made for me."

One long, dry finger breeched his tight ring of muscles, making him hiss, Randy's other hand quickly unfastening his own pants, letting them drop down to the floor.

"While Mikey's out for power… you're out for love, right, Codes?"

He only managed a small nod, feeling the finger pumping in and out of his tight walls, fast and deep, making him yelp with every single stab.

None of them realized the green eyes -clouded with lust- watching them from the other room, none of them heard the zipper being pulled down, none of them saw the large palm starting to run up and down his already slick cock as Ted watched the scene in front of him -bathroom-door only half opened.

Soon enough it were two fingers stretching and scissoring his hole while Randy pumped his own erection slowly, roughly, bringing it to full life, the whines and whimpers from Cody only doing so much to turn him on.

"Shit Codes… you've no idea how hot you look like this… bent over the desk like a good lil boy… just for me… that sexy ass off yours pushing back against my fingers. You love having them speared up that tight as of yours, do you?"

Just as he wanted to answer Randy, he felt the cold digits leaving him and a second later, he was filled to the brim with Randy's thick length. The sharp pain shooting up his spine from being taken so roughly was an all too familiar feeling, a rather needy moan escaping his lips, mixing with the grunt of the elder man.

"Shit Codes… so damn tight."

The pace was slow at first, torturously slow, deep thrusts rocking the desk underneath the young man, his arms reaching out for the corners to brace himself while Randy's large hands held a tight grip on his hips. They both liked it rough -together anyways- though Cody would have enjoyed it more if the one sliding in and out of him was Ted.

Randy leaned down, biting and sucking at the tender flesh on Cody's neck, the slippery sounds of someone pumping himself coming to his ears, eyes darting over to the bathroom door just for a second to see Ted's eyes closed, lips hanging open, hand on his dick almost furiously rubbing himself towards the edge.

Placing one hand on Cody's shoulder for leverage, he leaned down again, nibbling at his young boys ear, whispering.

"I think we have a viewer… how about we give our Teddy a good show, huh? I know you'd like to… to turn him on… make him hot… want him to cum at the image of me fucking you so hard that you won't be able to stand straight for a week."

Cody swallowed, nodding, eyes turning towards Ted for a small instant, the sight alone making him almost blow his load.

Randy turned them around, his cock springing free from the tight heat as he picked Cody up to sit him on the desk, swinging the strong legs over his shoulders and pulling the young mans ample-cheeks forward, not even giving him a second to prepare as he plunged back inside, Cody's torso falling back against the wooden desk as he let out an almost sluttish groan.

"Fuck Randy… god… so good… so big…"

He usually was not a big talker during sex, but whenever Ted was watching, he loved to put on a special show for him. Randy's smirk grew as he started to pump into the lithe frame underneath, hands resting on either side of Cody's head, almost folding him in two as his thrusts became deeper, faster, harder, the desk under them screeching over the floor.

"God Codes… fucking hot… I'll fuck you so hard… so good… you'll never want someone else again…"

Cody's hands searched frantically for Randy's neck, pulling him down into a rough, needy kiss, sloppy and messy, breath coming out in short pants, both already nearing their climax. The extra pressure on his own cock -being rubbed by those defined abs of Randy- and the constant stabs of his prostate paired with the image of Ted rubbing himself were Cody's downfall and as the pace increased to an almost painful tempo, Randy thrusting his thick girth into him over and over, while those large palms held tightly onto his shoulders; Cody exploded, hot, sticky white ribbons shooting all over him and onto Randy's shirt as he shuddered and thrashed through his release.

"Holy… motherfucker of god!"

Even through Cody's own scream, they both could hear a loud gasp coming from the other end of the room, knowing exactly that Ted must have found his release as well. That thought alone paired with the incredible tightness of Cody's hole drawing him in further, the spasming of those walls massaging his bursting erection made Randy accelerate his pace to the limits until a few thrusts later, he roared his release, pulling out of Cody just in time to paint the young males shirt with his hot semen, almost doubling over at the intensity of his orgasm.

As soon as he had realized what he had just done, Ted clasped a hand over his lips, cursing himself for being such a voyeur. Not that it had been the first time, but damn, he could not help it. In a weird way it was turning him on to watch two guys going at it, doing it, fucking, screwing each other, especially when one of them was Cody.

He was a strongly religious man, married on top of it, how could he be such a perv? How could he do that to his wife, to god? He cursed again, even more as he looked down at himself, seeing the mess on his other hand and his shirt, mumbling under his breath, thankfully not loud enough for THEM to hear -that was what he thought at least.

Closing the door again, as silently as possible, he turned on his heels, walking over to the sink to clean himself, the images of Cody so wantonly taking it -from Randy- the images of his pleased features while shuttering through his release repeating themselves in his mind again and again.

Groaning, Ted shut the water down, shaking his head, as he looked himself over in the mirror. He was one sick mind. Starting a silent prayer to God, he knew exactly where his next journey would go to -right after hurting Cena-, he would go to church again. He had to find forgiveness for his latest sin and father Brooks would sure help him.

Thankfully for him, he had closed the door quickly enough, since only a few moments later, loud clapping could be heard.

Randy was still lying on top of Cody, sweating, pants loosely around his ankles as they both were trying to catch their breath'.

"Bravo… Bravissimo!"

Randy's head snapped around, the actual frown on his face turning into a proud smirk as soon as he saw who it was, not caring to even get decent in front of him. However, Cody was not quite that fond of being interrupted, pushing Randy off and quickly reaching down for his jeans, pulling them up as fast as possible.

"Chris."

The blond, older male nodded his head, smirk plastered on his lips -an all too familiar smirk- as he came closer, still clapping his hands.

"Nice show, boys… but honestly, Randy… in the lab? Between all the drugs? Sure that your filthy ass did not ruin our precious powders?"

Randy snarled, finally reaching down for his pants to pull them up, fastening them again while Cody grabbed a nearby cloth, wiping the mess on his desk away.

"Really funny, Jericho. What do you want here anyways?"

Chris just shrugged, eyeing Codys wiggling ass with a more than obvious interest, tongue darting out to wet his lips.

"Same as you, Randy…" Randy growled protectively as he followed Chris' gaze -after all Cody was like a little brother to him, well… not literally, maybe a younger best friend with benefits?- knowing exactly what his co-boss was talking about and not liking it one bit.

"Oh come on… I wanted to ask our little sunshine here if he has seen Mike?"

Cody turned around, biting his lip, tilting his head, the blush still creeping his cheeks, small pearls of sweat still grazing his forehead as he nodded.

"Hmm… he and Jake left a while ago, wanted to talk strategy and such. Think it was something that had to do with Cena."

The tensing of Chris' muscles at the mention of Jake did not go unnoticed by either one of the dark-haired males, the smirk however never leaving his full lips as he arched a brow.

"Is that so, huh? And where's your little plaything, Codes? Where's Teddy?"

At the mention of his name, not the young male, but the tiny kitten came out of its hiding-place behind one of the machines, soft mewling sounds leaving its lips as it strutted towards Chris, rubbing itself against his leg. Both Cody's as well as Randy's eyes widened immediately, cursing themselves for not hiding the kitten before -okay, well, how could they know that the bastard of boss would walk in on them without calling? He usually always called before.

"What the fuck?"

Just then, Ted retreated out of the bathroom, gulping as he looked up from his shirt -still slightly wet from washing the evidence of his pleasure off- and locked eyes with the other blond in the room.

"Boss."

It came out weaker than he wanted it to, voice cracking slightly, eyes widening, quickly trying to avoid his gaze, instead searching for Randy's eyes -for which it was not really better, but at least the slightly older man just had some action and everyone knew that a relaxed and pleased Randy was a thousand times better than Chris at any time.

Cody used the distraction to quickly pick up the kitten, cradling it in his arm like a little baby, tickling it behind its ear, the soft purring sounds reaching Chris' ears turning his attention back towards his primary target.

"Rhodes… what the fuck does that cat want here?"

The growl was threatening enough to startle all three men in the room, Cody chewing his lips as he swallowed down the lump in his throat, eyes staying fixed on the kitten in his arms.

"I… well… it was all alone on the streets, hungry, and… I dunno… it looked so sick and I wanted to… uhmm… help?"

Knowing that it would get him into trouble -more than he already was in- but also not wanting Cody on the receiving end of Chris' wrath -for he just loved him too much, well… no… he had a crush on him… god, that's so very very wrong- Ted stepped forward quickly, grabbing the kitten out of Cody's hands in a hurry.

"It's mine, boss. I just brought it here cause I knew Cody loves kittens. I'll take it home with me immediately again."

Two surprised, warm blues stayed fixed on him while Randy cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what this was all about. Hadn't Cody just told him two hours ago that it was his kitten?

"Is that so, DiBiase?"

God, even in a normal tone, Chris' voice sounded threatening. Nodding his head vigorously, Ted let the kitten climb onto his shoulder, wet, cold nose rubbing over his exposed skin, sniffling, taking in his new mates scent.

"Yes, sir. Right after Jake and I return from our job, I'll pick the kitten up again and take it home. And I promise it will never happen again."

In an instant, Jericho was in his face, smirk long turned into a vicious glare as he came nose to nose with the other, much younger blond, murmuring.

"You better make sure of it, DiBiase… or your ass will be gone. You know that we can find another hitman whenever we want. There's hundreds out there, better than you. Less fucking religious, without any soft parts in their fucking hearts."

Ted stayed calm, his Adams apple bopping as he gulped down, slowly nodding his head, begging his voice to not let him down again.

"Yes sir."

"Good boy!"

Chris barked in his face, before his expression changed again, patting the young mans head, turning his gaze towards Randy and Cody who were still looking on, both surprised and curious.

"I gotta go again. Tell Mikey, I've been looking for him."

And before he had even finished his sentence, he was already back out of the door, Ted releasing a breath he did not even know he was holding, almost slumping backwards as his hand grabbed onto his chest, feeling if his heart was still beating.

Glancing from Cody to Ted and back to Cody, Randy's brows furrowed for a moment, before giving the thinking up and shaking his head, small smile coming back to his lips as he cleared his throat, patting Cody's shoulder.

"Well… I'll see you boys later. And DiBiase?"

Ted's head shot back up at the mentioning of his name, eyes locking with the cold glare of the man the streets were calling "Viper" -and for a good reason.

"Yeah, sir?"

Randy's glare turned into a smirk again as he licked his dry lips, eyes traveling down the blonde's torso, small chuckle escaping him.

"Before you take care of that "job"… make sure your shirt dries again. Don't want anyone to think that you had a lil accident, now do we?"

The blush on Ted's cheeks almost matched the red of his shirt as he lowered his head in embarrassment, kitten on his shoulder almost forgotten as Randy leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Next time… a mouth to shoot that load into might help staying clean."

Ted was sure that his face was burning as he felt his whole self-esteem flush down the toilet, hands sweaty, lips slightly parted in protest, but words stuck in his throat. He felt the palm on his shoulder squeezing him tightly, before it pulled away, Randy's eyes returning to smirk at Cody, who was smirking back at him with just as much joy.

"It was as always a pleasure, Codes."

The youngest of them just nodded, smirk growing wider as he saw Randy leaving, gaze turning back towards Ted who's head was hanging low, hands stuffed deep into his pockets, corner of his lips tucked in between his teeth.

Only moments later Mike, with Jake on his heels, entered the lab again through the back door, both men with similar satisfied grins on their faces. His grin faded, just a little bit, when he saw the flattened expression on the faces of both Cody and Ted. Cody was hugging his kitten, lower lip trembling, tears pooling in his eyes.

"What happened here?"

Mike took his young friend's face in his hands and rubbed the tears away with his thumbs.

"Chris… he told me to get rid off Teddy."

"What did that asshole want? He was supposed to be out all day."

Mike was fuming, Chris was tiresome to deal with and he wanted Jake out off the way whenever Chris was around.

"He was looking for you."

"Fuck… I hope he doesn't want sex, cause I don't think I can get it up so soon after what I've just done to Jakey here."

Of course, this was a lie, but Jake did not need to know that. He shot a look back to Jake who was still grinning, but had a murderous look in his eyes at the same time.

"Do you want me to talk to Chris for you, buddy?"

He rubbed the kitten behind his ears and gained a satisfied purr. It was a cute little thing and it would provide some amusing company in here, if only the fun of Cody driving Ted crazy with calling it Teddy. Not to mention it would get rid of the mice that had invaded the house. Why would Chris even care about a cat in the house? It was not as if he lived here, like Mike did. No, the boss lived in a million dollar penthouse by the river, with his cute little housewife who had no idea of what her man did for his money or where he liked to put his dick.

"Can you Mike? Please? I'll do everything for you if you can convince Chris to let me keep Teddy."

Cody's plumb lips formed a cute little pout, his blue eyes already sparkling as he begged his best friend.

"You're quite adorable, and you use that so well, don't you? But really, Codes? Everything? Really? Well, well… It's been a long time since I had you on your knees with those cute lips around my dick."

Mike stepped even closer, thumbs rubbing circles in the ravenette's neck, lips only inches apart, a seductive look in his azure eyes. Cody gave him the same look back. They both knew they had absolutely no intention on sleeping with the other, but the show they were giving away was meant to drive the two men looking on insanely jealous.

"But the big question is what you're willing to do for Chris. He has to come back on a decision, and you know how much our big boss hates that."

Cody chewed his cheek, thinking about that question. He was quite sure that Chris would demand some sort of sexual favour and Randy would kill him for that; beside that Chris scared him senseless. At that moment, Teddy thought he was ignored long enough and he climbed onto Cody's shoulder and rubbed his face firmly in Cody's neck, purring like a little engine.

He sighed, "I'll do anything…"

"Good, I'll see what I can do."

Mike brushed his lips against Cody's, patted the kitten on his little head and turned back to Ted and Jake to tell them they needed to get going, when he noticed that Ted looked anything but ready, dressed in light-blue jeans and a red button-up. And if that wasn't enough, he looked like he could faint, or

even worse, cry, any moment. He was fucking useless. He turned back to Cody.

"Codes, Ted needs drugs… you know, those pills you gave him the last time, that made him almost kill Nick for walking in on him in the bathroom."

Cody nodded and started digging in his drawers, that was a bash of pills that had gone slightly wrong, but like so many things, had they're use anyhow. Mike stalked slowly and threateningly in the direction of Ted. Ted was shaking as the brunette approached him, murder in the blue eyes. He only wished that he knew what he had done wrong this time.

"Teddy?" Mike's voice was deceivingly calm and almost sweet, like you talked to a child, "Didn't I tell you to get ready an hour ago?"

Ted gulped and nodded.

"Well are you ready sweetheart?"

He shook his head, biting his lip so hard he tasted blood. He started to whisper prayers again.

"Can you tell me what was so important that you didn't have time to get changed darling?"

Mike looked down and pretended he had not seen the wet spot on Ted's shirt before. He trailed his hand over the wet spot, making Ted shiver from both fear and desire, as Mike rubbed his abs.

"Oh, what's this, Teddy? Your shirt is all wet. Have you been jerking off again? Have you been a bad boy again? And that in my time?"

Mike's voice got a cold ring to it, "You have five minutes angel-boy. You better be back by then. Jake will get your weapons."

Ted hurried out and only a few minutes later he came back, dressed in dark jeans and a hooded sweater. Cody handed him the pills that he eagerly took. He knew taking drugs was bad. Father Brooks told him this all the time. But he needed it, you know? They made him feel better about himself, they made him

feel strong and closer to God. Jake handed Ted his weapons, already annoyed by his partner. He needed to hurt someone soon or he would explode. He could barely handle the thought that the moment he was gone, Mike would be off to see Chris, off to be fucked by him most likely.

#

It was still early in the morning; it was pitch-black, thick clouds obscuring the little light the moon would give. That did not make the two men less careful. They did not want to attract any attention. For two huge men, they made surprisingly little noise when walking. The way they moved made it obvious they were up to no good, if their location and the time of the day had not betrayed that already.

The larger of the two had his hand on the bulk on his hip, fondling the semi-automatic handgun that hung there. Mike had bought this beauty just for him, after he had complained about the state of the weapons available. He could not wait until he could empty it into human flesh. His parents might think it was Mike, who had gotten him onto the wrong path, but they did not know about the corrupted state of mind of their only son; they had no idea of the glee it gave him to hurt someone, the total rush that came over him when someone bled out in front of his eyes. In Mike he had recognized someone who

could give him what he needed, and he had never looked back.

Jake had a baseball bat slung over his shoulder. He preferred guns, but for some situations, you needed to go back to the basics. Ted was walking next to him, the slightly mad expression in his eyes had alerted Jake that he had used again. It made him slightly unreliable, but not as unreliable as he would have been without it. The risk of him hesitating at the crucial time was too big. When Ted was high, he would at least pull the trigger.

Ted had nun chucks dangling from his right hand. He had a thing for martial arts and was quick as lighting with those things. Jake eyed them hungrily, Ted had already started teaching him how to use them, but they were hard to master.

"The Lord's hand will come down on those who sin. Let me be your hand Lord. I will be Your Angel of Vengeance; I will be your sword. Let your glorious justice be heard and I will smite those who are evil."

Jake chuckled softly. That was one of the more amusing qualities of Ted on drugs. It made him believe he was God's punisher. But no matter how amusing Ted was and no matter how much he liked the guy, he had to agree with Mike, Ted was a liability and he wouldn't take a bullet for him. Maybe Mike could persuade Chris and Randy to let him go, or at least hire some new muscle. God knew that Mike had his ways to get what he wanted from them; though Jake hated the way he did just that. He wanted Mike for himself, and that was something

that was never going to happen.

They turned a corner and Jake concentrated on his surroundings again, pulling his hood further over his head, signaling Ted to do the same. He checked if his gun was loose in the holster, before he put his back to the wall. The building was quiet and dark, that was a good sign. He sent Ted to the back of the house to check if there was any sign of Stephen. He patiently waited until Ted gave the all-clear sign. He checked the door, which was open - Cena was truly an idiot - and he signaled Ted to go in first, just as he and Mike had agreed on.

One by one, they checked the rooms. The stench in the house was overwhelming, the smell of stale alcohol, cigarette smoke, vomit and human waste hung stale in the air. Even Ted looked disgusted and he had lived in drug holes like this himself. In the living room, they found the bag of drugs, white power spilling over the table, half of it already gone. There was no way that Cena would be able to pay up, not now and not in the week time they would give him. Jake picked up the bag and put it in his pocket. He did not really like it that Cena appeared to be upstairs. He rather would not go any further in the house, but he had no choice. Upstairs the stench was even worse and Jake breathed through his mouth to keep from vomiting.

"I found him," Ted whispered. "He's sleeping, want me to wake him?"

He stroked his nun chucks thinking about where to hit him to make him wake up fast and painful.

"Wait a minute. I'm gonna see if the other rooms are empty."

A few minutes later Jake was back. The house was empty, except for the peacefully snoring man lying on a filthy bed, an empty bottle of whiskey fallen to the floor. Jake's eye fell on something black and shiny party hidden under Cena's pillow. Carefully he eased it out underneath and he could not help admiring the beautiful gun. It was not as good as his own, but the difference was minor; this thing was expensive. He would keep it; there was no greater pleasure than killing someone with his own gun. And sooner or later Cena would be his.

He nodded at Ted, who swirled his nun chuck and with two satisfying pocks, it broke first a few ribs and then his collarbone. Jake silenced the loud scream by stuffing the dirty sheets in Cena's mouth. The guys eyes bulged out, furious, scared as hell and in excruciating pain. Ted chose well; Jake would not have done it any different. When Cena ran out of breath, he pulled the cloth out of Cena's mouth and replaced it with the gun.

"So John," he pulled off his hood and smirked in the guys face, "we meet again."

Cena gulped, terrified, knowing that he had gone too far, but that annoying dreadlocked Puerto Rican had flaunted that big bag of drugs in front of him and he just had this new gun, well, it was not really his fault, was it? How could he know that they knew where he lived? And he thought that Stephen would have been back already. It fucking hurt… he could not even move.

"You didn't think we would let you get away with that, you dumb piece of shit?" he tapped Cena on the head with the gun. The big man whimpered, not from the pain, he barely felt that with the pain in his ribs and collarbone, but from fear. He just realized this might well be his end.

"Where's our money?" Cena gulped and shook his head. "Well. I thought so. That's just too bad. Teddy here, he doesn't like killing very much."

"My Lord, let me smite your enemies, I am your Angel of Vengeance."

Ted recited almost dreamily, insanity radiating from his eyes; scaring Cena so much the sickening, slightly sweet smell of pee filled the room.

Jake smirked, "Hmm… It seems like Teddy here wouldn't mind killing you tonight… Too bad I can't let him do it… $10.000, you have one week, the usual time and place… don't show up, don't deliver and you're dead… and that, dear John, will be my pleasure."

With those words, he swung the baseball bat with all force he could muster and he further shattered the already broken collarbone. That would make some permanent damage; Cena would never regain full usage of his right arm.

"JOHN! WHY DID YA FUCKIN' LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN AGAIN?"

#

Meanwhile Mike had found Chris in their office a few blocks down the street. It was their camouflage for all the badass cops out there who wanted to stop them. Chris and Randy had signed the office into registers as a social place for kids to come to when they needed food, money or toys. However, no one had ever seen a kid walk in and out of the place, but the cops could not do anything about it. As long as they did not find the hidden lab, they were all safe.

He sat on Chris' desk, legs dangling down from the cold, black wood as he eyed the eldest curiously, watching how his boss signed paper after paper, wondering what for they were this time.

"So… what did you want to talk to me about, boss?"

He hated working for him, hated to take his crap day after day, hated that after all, he was the one making the big decisions, but Chris and Randy were always the ones getting the credits and most of the money for it. They were both so damn dull –stoned almost 24/7- that they never even realized when Mike was toying with them. However, out of fear, Mike never had said a thing against them. If everything went as he had planned, the business would be his soon enough anyways. He knew, he could count on Cody and Jake and Ted would do anything Cody wanted from him anyways, so the only guys in between him and the total power were his bosses.

"You know, Mikey… business is running real good as of late. Randy and I are doing one hell of a job. The fighting gets in some extra money, the drugs Cody produces are loved by every damn addict running around and I actually had thought about another little extension of our business."

Mike rolled his eyes at Chris' first comment, knowing exactly that it had been HIS work after all to keep this place running.

"Randy and I had talked about opening up a small brothel."

Mike's eyes almost popped out of his head at that, mouth opening in disbelief as he tilted his head to the right in confusion.

"You… uhmmm… what?"

Chris chuckled, leaning back in his chair, hands resting on his growing belly –the guy just could not stop eating for all it was worth- as he smirked up at Mike.

"A brothel, darling… you know… prostitution? Whores? I thought with all the young flesh on the streets, the girls needing money left and right… this would be the perfect chance for us to totally take that Atlanta under our wings, to completely control the business."

Mike had the urge to laugh, to burst out in tears of laughter by the ridiculous sound of it, but he knew better than that. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, running his tongue over his bottom lip slowly before climbing down from the desk and seating himself in Chris' lap.

"You know… that's a brilliant idea, boss. That would bring in so much money. It's simply genius. But… err… I'm sure you've thought about this yourself… With us opening a brothel…"

"Us?"

"Sorry… with you opening a brothel, the cops would only be inches away from getting us. I know that it's probably nothing, just a minor detail, but how do you suppose us to hide it? It's already tough enough to stay unrecognized by them every time we step foot into our lab, but a brothel? Don't you think it would gain a little too much attention from them?"

Chris' brows furrowed as he thought about it, hands placed tightly on Mike's hips now as you could see his wheels spinning, tongue darting out to wet his lips every now and then.

"Actually… I don't think so, Mike. The cops are too dumb to ever find out anyways. If they haven't gotten us yet, they'll never do it."

Mike sighed, knowing this would be one of the harder cases again to convince his boss from his opinion, that he was right. One of those cases where he needed to pull out the big guns. Slowly letting his hands slip down in-between them, he started fondling with the blondes zipper, pulling it down, hand sliding inside to massage him through the thin material of his boxers, as his hips ground down onto his boss.

"Yeah… I guess you're right… you and Randy are so much smarter than the cops. But I'm just worried, you know. I don't want to go to jail. I think I won't survive that. I'm not as strong as you. And prostitution is so easy to infiltrate; cops do it all the time. It's about the only thing they know. Come on, Chrissie… think! There's a big chance the cops will find out… And of course, you've already thought about how to deal with Hunter as well. We can be glad that he did not totally damage our lab the last time, that Cody had still some things to work with after his goons have given us a visit. With

that brothel… do you really think they would let it happen? Right in front of their eyes? Jake and Teddy already have to do a lot more work ever since those asses have found out where we sell, who we sell to. But I guess you've got the perfect plan and I'm just too dumb to see it."

Chris' head was thrown back against his leather-seat, eyes half-lidded with lust, lower lip tucked in between his teeth as Mike's pressure on his groin became more, harder, his cock stirring to life.

"God Mike… you're such a little, dirty whore, you know? You'd be the perfect one for our new business…"

Mike huffed, increasing his pressure even more, enough to gain a loud moan from his boss, deciding to take it up a notch and slide down from his lap, kneeling right between his legs now, hand still firmly on the covered erection.

"Boss… think about it again. There's no way that we can keep a brothel a secret, no way our whole business stays a secret when we start hiring prostitutes, when we send them on the street. You've got a loyal bunch of workers now; people who respect you, who'd do anything for you. But hookers, they're nothing like that; you can't trust them; they'll betray you without even thinking about it. "

While talking, he had freed Chris' erection from his confines, the thick, meaty length springing out into the air and Mike had to suppress the urge to just throw up. He hated to do this, hated that he could not just let it go, hated that his services were pretty much the only thing that made his bosses listen to him.

"And we would have to buy another house, or rent one, would have to pay for gas and energy again, would have to buy decorations and shit. Do you really want to spend so much money on a business that's not even meant to survive?"

Before Chris had the chance to answer though, to even think, Mike had swallowed him down in one piece, the tip of that fat cock hitting the back of his throat, the urge to gag and spit turned off in favour to get what he wanted. He knew that in less than five minutes, he would have changed the bosses mind again. And with Chris on his side, it would be easy to get the idea out of Randy's head as well. Just to which prize?

* * *

**Questions? Suggestions? Creative Criticism? Review, please! **

**By the way... does anyone has a good suggestion why Mike (in this fic) could hate Morrison? Best answer wins... **


	2. Cats and Angels

**Authors' note:**

**Marieke: Since both of us are home from work right now (for different reasons), we have a lot of free time on our hands and use that time in the best way possible: writing this fic.**

**Bianca: *nods* And not to forget: Taking care of our muses *grins* So yeah. We wanted to thank everyone for your awesome reviews again. Hopefully it will become even more as time goes on.**

**Marieke: at least LegacyChick got reviews not me *pouts*. So gimme. The muses are a huge problem right now, since Randy has found himself pregnant and the mood swings are unbearable. Can you believe he kicked me?**

**Bianca: *shakes head and glares at Randy* Well yeah... nuff about the muses. At least they were somewhat helpful with this chapter. Again: Neither of the two of us will ever let an Evan, Hunter, Regal or even a Kane muse in our homes. Btw, just to prevent the confusion. We're using Hunter and Regal as the ONLY ring-names in this story. Let's say it's their nicknames. Everyone else is called by their real name.**

**Marieke: Err... hun... I had an Evan muse, it invaded my home. However, I gave it away to MoKim, I hope he's happy there. And I wanna add that if I ever see a Morrison muse I'll shoot him immediately *Mike nods*. And using real names means that Matthew = Zack Ryder. That one might be hard to google.**

**Bianca: *nods* true. Okay... now on to business...**

**Warnings: Slash, Sex, Drug abuse, Violence, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we own none of the wrestlers, though we would pay good money for them (well at least some of them). For others we would pay good money to have them killed (or at least to get them off our TV). We do own our INsanity (we have sick, sick minds that work surprisingly similar) and our muses… and soon enough a baby muse *shudders and winces***

* * *

**Chapter 2: Angels and kittens**

It was almost noon, Cody sitting at his desk as usual, pen behind his ear, tongue stuck out between his full, plump lips as he was concentrating on his task to find a new formula. He had wanted to let those damn pills look like mints, mints with a cherry flavour, but for some reason the damn formula would not work. He was trying for weeks already, failing twice so far -thankfully Dustin had been the perfect victim to get rid of the screwed up examples- and Mike looking over his shoulder right now did not really help his concentration.

Mike had been pacing through the room for an hour now. Jake and Ted had been gone for hours, they should have been back long ago. Something had gone wrong; Ted had probably fucked up again. He knew he should have gotten rid of him ages ago. What had stopped him was that he had to play this through Chris and he could not stand the thought of what he needed to do to convince Chris to do what he wanted. Only the thought of that dick in his ass made him want to vomit.

Groaning, Cody turned his head to stare back at Mike, his patience slowly getting thinner with every minute the young man was pacing.

"Would you fucking stop that, Mike? You're making me nervous. I'm sure they're fine. They're both big guys, lethal, they know what they do and they do it brilliantly. Now calm the fuck down before I decide to shoot you."

Mike growled. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You've never been on the streets. You have no idea how crazy the fuckers are you make those pills for. While you were having fun at college, the rest of us took the risks that are making you tons of money now. Damn it Codes, you don't even know how to aim a gun. You're dead before you'd even decide to kill me."

Cody's glare turned into a hurt expression. How dare Mike to use his past against him? How dare him to accuse him of knowing nothing about the streets? Only because his dad was a rich man and had provided him everything he had ever wanted and needed, did not mean that he was a self-made man. He also had to struggle, also had to learn how to survive on the streets.

"You're a fucking asshole, Mike, you know that? If it weren't for college, you guys would have no one to produce your fucking drugs. None of those idiots who worked here before did such an amazing job as I do. None of them knew as much about chemicals and formulas. So shut your fucking mouth! You're just worried that YOUR lover boy might be dead and you'd need to find a new pet to educate the way you want it."

"You can't take a little bit of criticism can't you, daddy's boy? You have it so tough, with first daddy paying for anything you ever needed and when he threw you out, Randy took right over. You have never had to struggle for anything. Everything was handed to you from the moment you were born. Never forget that it was MY idea that made Randy pay for your education, never forget what I had to do with Chris to convince him to do that. Never forget what I have to do with Randy and Chris every day to keep this joint running, while you sit here having fun with your powders, Teddy, and letting Randy screw you whenever you want that. Without me you would've been in prison at the very least and most likely you'd be dead."

That really was too much and a second later, Cody was out of his seat, throwing the formulas he had so securely, so long, so deep worked on right into Mike's face, his eyes filled with tears.

"You fucking ass! I thought we're friends. Can't you just ONCE think before you speak? What is it? Did Jericho fuck you a little too hard earlier? Did he bang your head against the wall while fucking your throat? Really, Mike... I can't grasp how I could become friends with someone as cold as you, as fucking heartless as you. Just because you had to fuck your way to the top doesn't mean that I've never had it hard either!"

Mike was fuming, he clenched and unclenched his first, trying to contain his tempter, trying to stop himself from ripping Cody's head off. That little fuck needed to grow up and start to see the truth. Cody was the only one who knew how much it cost him to let Jericho do what he did, he was the only one who knew how much he detested Randy, what Randy did to him when they were alone.

"How dare you throw that in my face? You little fucker... you think you have it so bad don't you? You never take the risks! You never have to shove Chris' dirty dick in your mouth to keep him from one of his ridiculous plans. No everyone always tells you how great you are, how cute you are, how smart you are, while everyone sees me as the whore. Fuck you Cody, I didn't sleep my way to the top, and you know that. You're not the only one with a brain. Talk about friendship. It's nice to hear how you really think about me. I don't care you calling me cold and heartless, cause I am and I'm not ashamed of that whatsoever. But if you ever call me a whore I again, I swear, I'll skinn you alive."

They were both on the verge of exploding, Cody's eyes filled with tears -of anger, of hurt, of confusion- while Mike's face was beat-red. Never had he been that outraged, never had he been that hurt -just because never ever had he let someone in as much as he had Cody. But before either of them could do or say anything else, the big iron door flew open, the tall blond stumbling inside getting their full attention as his black sweater was covered in blood, his left shoulder hanging limb from his body, face full of dirt.

The moment Mike saw that he turned pale in an instance, torn between happiness that Jake was still alive, worry for his lover and all his anger was redirected at the one man missing. Ted had better be lying dead in the ditch somewhere or he did not account for the consequences. He flew towards Jake and helped him sit down.

"Where are you hurt Jake? Are you shot?" "Cody give me the first aid kid now!"

Cody was already on his way, carrying with him the big box with medical supplies that enabled them to keep hospital visit's to a minimum.

The very same moment Cody had spotted Jake, his face had turned pale, too. Though he was not worried about Jake's condition, he was more worried about where Ted was. Handing the first aid kit to Mike, he chewed nervously on his lips, the question burning in him suddenly spurting out before either of the others could say anything.

"Where's Ted? What happened?"

Jake's eyes flickered between Mike and Cody, lips curled up into a wince as Mike applied a little too much pressure on his hurt shoulder, groaning as he shifted in his chair.

"Cena... we got him good, but then... that bastard Stephen showed up and before we knew it, we were in a brawl with that giant. He got me pretty good, but Ted brought him down with a few punches. I was able to get up and shoot the guy in his hand. We got out in one piece, but that pale ghost fucked up my shoulder. Ted's went to the church right after we were sure that they weren't following us. He said he needed to pray or some shit like that."

He groaned again as Mike lifted his arms, sliding the sweater over Jake's head -the pain of his shoulder almost killing the younger male- the bruises and the blood dripping from his lips covering his whole chest.

"Fucking idiot!"

Mike growled. Jake looked up to Mike, a hurt expression on his face. They had not fucked up that badly. Mike saw the expression and hurried to explain.

"Not you babe, Ted. How dare he go to church before reporting to me? How could he leave you alone when you're hurt like this? If Hunter's bastards would've been around you'd be dead. But I'll think about how to kill him later. Now I have to take care of you. Why didn't you just kill Stephen, darling?"

While he was talking he carefully bended Jake's arm, moved it to his chest, and back until after two tries the shoulder popped back into his socked. Jake bit his lip during the procedure, trying to keep from screaming out. After it was set, he sighed from relief. It was only a short relief, because now the adrenaline stopped flowing he started to feel more and more beaten up.

"Hold your arm, I'll get you a sling later, but first I need to get you cleaned up."

Carefully and uncommonly tender he washed the blood off Jake's chest and face, feeling relieved that most of the blood did not seem to be his. The only thing that seemed to bleed was a cut on his upper lip and a minor head wound that Mike cleaned and stitched with a few practiced movements.

Cody huffed, watching the whole scene from a few feet away. Bastard did not even seem to be worried about Ted's condition. He could be bleeding, too, could be hurt, and all Mike could think about was his Jake, his fucking toy. Sighing heavily, he walked back over to his desk, bottom lip tucked in between his teeth as he picked up his papers again, placing them back onto the wooden table. They would have to report to their bosses, to both of them and he already had a feeling that they would be furious.

At least Jake seemed to be alright, besides some bruises and a few cuts, but Cody could not help but worry about Ted. Why was Mike so damn enraged about him anyways? From what Jake had said, Ted was the one to save him from Stephen and Cody was more than sure that without Ted, Jake might as well be dead now. He had seen that Irish guy up close twice already and by the looks of him, Stephen could snap anybodies neck in just a matter of a microsecond. His tongue darted out to wet his lip as he leaned forward against the desk, bracing himself up with his hands, taking a few deep breaths. He just hoped that Ted was okay. He would take care of Mike's attitude later. Maybe he could keep him from hurting Ted.

"Cody, do you have some painkillers?"

Mike asked. He was calm again, now Jake seemed to do fine. As long as there were not any internal injuries, he should be alright.

"Jake was Ted injured too?"

He was not really worried about Ted, but him showing up bloodied at the church would have made that fucking priest even more curious. Who knew what Angel-boy told him anyway? Confession might be confidential, but there only had to be one cop smart enough to wire the confession room and they were history.

"No, Teddy was fine. He had his nun chucks so he stayed clear of Stephen. Those are beautiful things, wham, with one hit he nearly took his nose off. And he didn't leave me until we were here."

That was not exactly true but he felt he owned his friends for saving his ass. Mike huffed. He felt like killing someone and since -for different reasons- he couldn't kill any of the people he was really angry at -Jake for getting injured, Cody for calling him a whore, Chris for being the goddamned asshole that he was and Randy for the constant abuse- he aimed his anger on the one person that was useless and weak and that he didn't give a shit about.

Cody sighed, opening the top drawer of his desk to shuffle through it for some painkillers while listening to Jake's explanation from the far. He smiled faintly as he heard that Ted was fine, but still his nerves needed something to help them calm. As he found the painkillers, he threw the small package over to Mike, before quickly returning to his desk, fingers fidgeting with the small box inside, plopping one of the little grey pills in. Maybe it would help.

"What about Stephen and Cena? Injured badly?"

He could not help but ask, worried that the guys could have followed them, worried that they would seek for revenge. It would not have been the first time that someone turned HIS lab upside down just to prove a point. Gladly enough, both times it had happened, he had not been there. Else, he might as well have been dead already. Hunter's goons as well as those scumbags on the streets would kill anyone in sight as long as they could prove a point with it and Cody was sure that Cena and Stephen were not any different. He wanted to know if they would be out for blood or if they were out cold.

"I think that Cena still lies in his own pee. He has a couple of broken ribs and a shattered collarbone. I don't think he will ever use that arm again; not without health-insurance."

Jake grinned happily. Beating up Cena like that had been fun, not as much fun as killing him would have been.

"I don't know what drugs you gave Ted, but they were brilliant. I've never seen him this insane or murderous. Makes we wonder what they'll do to me..."

Mike interrupted, "No drugs, Jakey, that makes you weak."

Even if he worked for an organisation that had drugs as their primary activity, and he had been dealing since he was 10 years old, Mike had always stayed clear of the stuff himself and had made sure the same went for Jake. Mike did not want to be dependent on anything and he needed a clear mind. And as for Jake? Mike wanted to be his only addiction.

* * *

Mike supported Jake upstairs, his wincing not going unnoticed. His heart was still racing from the fight he just had with Cody and the concern he had felt for Jake the moment he had seen him stepping inside covered in blood. He had thought he would loose him this time; twelve years already, he had Jake guarding his back, for ten years he had him in his bed. After all that time you got used to having someone around, he would miss him terrible. Do not confuse that with love or caring though, as Cody had said, Jake was just his plaything. Jake knew exactly what Mike wanted, what he liked and how he liked it and he was impossible to replace; as bodyguard and in his bed. Adding to that the guy had a clear head, he was an unmatched assassin and if that was not enough, he was great company.

Mike was in a strange mood, a mix of fury because of his fight with Cody; he still felt sick to his stomach for the disgusting things he had to do with Jericho - he could only hope Chris would've changed his mind; he tried to get Randy out of his mind for now, because that man gave him the shivers; and most of all he felt relieved and almost euphoric that he still had Jake with him.

When they came upstairs, he did not waste any time to take Jake to his room and he signalled Jake to sit down on the bed. He did not miss the look of relief in Jake's eyes. Jake had been afraid Mike would shove him into his own room, now he was beaten up and weak. He knew how much Mike detested weakness. He felt exhausted and the painkillers made him drowsy. He slumped down on the bed and stared up to Mike.

"I'm sorry for fucking up like this Mike. I know how angry Chris and Randy will be."

He also knew what Randy did to Mike when he was livid, though he always pretended not to see the bruises and the welts. One day he would kill Randy for that and after that, he would kill Jericho for mistreating and underestimating Mike like he did. Mike might think he did not know, but Jake saw everything and knew more than Mike would have ever wanted him to know.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. And you didn't fuck up; we got the warning out, beat Cena and Stephen up and next week they'll either pay or die. Is there anything you could've done different?"

"I could've sent Teddy downstairs to watch the door. But I needed him with Cena, too. That guy is insane and you never know what he will do. We need a third man. Like this we can't handle them or Hunter's gorillas. The numbers are too even like this."

Mike sat down next to Jake and raked his hand through the blond locks, which were still covered with blood and dirt. Jake leant into the touch, not caring about the pain this caused.

"I blame myself for not taking care of this earlier. But every time I go to talk to Chris about it, he has another crazy idea I need to get out of his head. You know that he wanted to open a brothel now? The guy's a fucking idiot. I wish that Vince hadn't left the business to Hunter, or I'd change sides today."

"I'd go with you Mike. And maybe Cody would too"

"I know you would babe. But Cody is too hung up on Randy. He adores him and would never betray him. Stupid fucker doesn't see Randy's true colours."

Jake nodded, holding in everything he wanted to say. He wanted to hold Mike close and tell him that he knew, that he did not need to hide behind his attitude, that Jake knew him and understood him better than anyone and would never let him down.

Jake yawned and at the same time, his stomach rumbled loudly. He pulled a face and started to get up. He needed something to eat.

"Sit down Jakey. I'll take care of you today. You deserve that."

Mike brushed his lips against Jake's and walked into his kitchen to rummage through his fridge for something decent to eat. In the end, he made him a sandwich. He would have to go for groceries tomorrow. When he came back to his room, Jake was sprawled onto the bed, his hurt arm on his chest, the other under his head, eyes closed and softly snoring. Mike smiled at the innocence of this huge and lethal young man.

After draping a blanket over his lover, he sat down in the chair and looked longingly at his book 'How to make a serial killer" but grabbed the newspaper in the end. He needed to know what was happening in town. Randy and Chris always made fun about him reading the newspapers, reading at all. The idiots did not understand that knowledge was power.

Mike would have loved to go to college, to study psychology and criminal law; not to practice it of course, but to use it for his own gain. Coming from the neighborhood he came from, growing up in poverty, his parents struggling to feed their six children, going to college was near impossible. Dealing and stealing were not the extracurricular activities that got you a scholarship. Therefore, Mike taught himself, reading everything he could get his hands on. It was through psychology books that he perfected his innate sense of manipulation, it was through law books that he had escaped jail 'till now, it was through news papers that he had discovered Chris' little joint and where to find him. It was by reading about the mafia and organized crime that he made their business the way it was today.

Two hours later he threw the papers away, a few seemingly unimportant fact locked away in his brain and he walked over the bed, stroking Jake's face. It felt odd to take care of someone else than himself for once.

"Hey Jakey? You need to wake up now. Lemme see if you don't have a concussion."

Jake slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Mike. He yawned and stretched, what caused him to winch in pain.

"Ouch, everything hurts."

"I know it does babe. Come on, can you sit up?"

Jake pushed himself up with his good arm and sat on the edge of his bed, pain showing on his face. He closed his eyes again, assessing his injuries, trying to find out if anything felt too wrong, if there was sign of internal injuries. He felt relieved when it seemed to be only bruises and aching muscles.

"You need to take a shower, Jakey. Come on I'll help you."

Mike knelt down between Jakes legs and slowly undid the buttons of his jeans. He could not resist slipping his hand inside to stroke the covered cock. Even like this, Jake was hot as hell and if he had anything to say about it, he would have this dick in his ass or mouth later on. No matter how much it detested him when he had to do it with Chris or how much it hurt him when Randy did it; with Jake it was always good. In fact, he needed Jake to get the memories out of his body and mind. Slowly he slid the jeans down to his feet, stroking his hands down the length of Jakes long, toned legs. He carefully took the heavy army boots and thick socks off and looked up to Jake, whose eyes were already dark with lust and with a visible bulk in his boxers. Mike smirked up to Jake, an amused sparkle in his azure eyes that made Jake grow harder just from seeing it.

"Really Jake? Really? After what we have done just a few hours ago? And after being hurt like this? And after those painkillers Cody gave you?"

"I always want you Mike. I always have and I always will. There's nothing that can stop that."

Mike stood up so he looked down on Jake. He cupped his face and kissed him, unusual soft because of the cut on his lip. Jake immediately sucked Mike's tongue into his mouth and their tongues started a lazy, slow, but passionate dance, that turned Mike more on than he had thought possible. He was used to hard and intense sex, but Jake could not take that tonight. He rubbed his jeans covered groin against Jake and a slow moan escaped the blonde. Jake let his hands slip under Mike's shirt and trailed his abs, before pulling Mike against him by grabbing his ass. Jake winced because of the pain that suddenly shot through his shoulder and Mike stepped back immediately.

"I'll do the work, Jakey. Just relax and enjoy it."

Mike knelt down again and eased the boxers down, his eyes focused on the huge erection. He looked up to Jake and licked his lips. Jake swallowed, eyes big in anticipation. Mike grinned, turned on by the obvious arousal in his huge lover. He dipped his head, rubbing his cheek against the silken flesh, taking in the smell, building the tension -both for him and for his lover. A low groan left Jake's lips as Mike licked his cock from the base up, pushing his tongue against the throbbing vein, a similar groan leaving his throat as he licked up the drops of precum. The unique essence tasted better on his tongue than the most expensive whiskey.

Mike sucked the head in his mouth, his tongue still twirling around it, closing his eyes to sharpen his other senses - savoring the taste; the musky smell of arousal that hung between them; the softness of Jake's skin under his hands; the mewling sounds that came from his lovers lips - everything of this adding to his own arousal; with every heartbeat more blood went to his own dick.

The husky tone of these words made Jake gulp, staring down on the brunette that had a devilish look in his eyes. Mike trailed nibbling kisses all over Jakes inner thighs, his tongue and lips making the other man shudder from need. The pain was forgotten, the desire burned the painkillers out of his blood; he burned for this man, needed him, wanted him

"You like this don't you Jakey? You want me to go on? You want me to suck you again?"

Mike teasingly licked the inner thighs of his lover, eyes never leaving the pleased features of the young blond, waiting for him to beg, waiting for him to say anything at all. Jake was biting his lips hard, hips thrusting forward in a silent plea, but he knew exactly what Mike wanted, knew what the older man needed to hear.

"Please Mike... please put those fucking cock-sucking lips to work! I need it... want it... please suck me!"

Mike grinned up at him, giving the strong thighs a firm squeeze, before delving down, giving the engorged head a swift lick before sucking the whole of Jake's throbbing length down in one go, until it hit the back of his throat, his hands tightly holding onto Jake's hips to keep him still. Jake threw his head back, a low moan, loud and hoarse leaving his lips as he tried to steady himself with his good arm. A sitting-position sure as hell was not the best idea for this.

After a few seconds, he gave up, letting himself fall back on the bed, submitting himself to the expert mouth of the brunette. Painfully slow Mike bobbed his head up and down, sucking the head, his tongue working the throbbing veil, lapping at the dripping fluids, swallowing as he went down, so he could take as much of Jake inside him as possible. He loved doing this for Jake, loved making his lover fall apart, loved the needy, slutty moans that left his throat. He opened his eyes again, taking in the pleased features of the large man. He cupped Jake's balls in one hand, softly squeezing, causing Jake to buckle upwards widely, almost bruising Mike's throat.

"Fuck Mike... God... Yeah like that... I can't wait until I have that tight ass of yours around me... Fuck I need that."

Mike felt his cock twitch, he had not been sure yet what to do, but with these words he suddenly could not wait until Jake was buried to the hilt in his ass.

For some weird reason, he loved to be the submissive one -though only when it came to sex. In any other situation he needed, he craved for control, but submitting to Jake, letting him fuck him raw and hard; it gave him the thrill he wanted.

His unoccupied hand quickly undid his belt and his zipper before sliding inside his pants, own erection already pulsing, hard as a rock, his boxers spotting a big wet mark. While his head bopped up and down in Jake's lap, he slowly started to stroke himself, the moans resulting out of it sending jolts of fire through Jake's dick, almost making him blow his load into the hot caverns of Mike's throat.

"God... Mike... If you keep doing that, I'll have nothing left to fuck you with."

Another moan escaped Mike's lips, quickly releasing the slick cock that was twitching hard. He met Jake's eyes again, drinking in the lust, the want, the need. Mike stepped away from Jake, bending forwards to take off his shoes and socks, taking a little more time as necessary as he felt Jake's burning glare on his bare ass.

Jake could not keep his eyes of the man bending over before him. If he had felt a little better, he would have thrown him on the floor and taken him from behind this very second. As he watched the situation, he propped himself up on one elbow, taking in the shapely butt of the man he loved. Mike wriggled his ass before standing up again, trailing his eyes over the godlike specimen of mankind lying on his bed.

He licked his full lips and put one foot on the bed, spreading his legs a little. He kept rubbing his own dick, smirking as Jake's eyes flew downward, his breath coming out in quick pants. Mike brought his hand, that was slick with his own precum, to his mouth and licked it off. Jake gasped again at that wanton move, cock twisting and throbbing.

Mike sucked two fingers into his mouth, coating them with saliva –giving them the same attention as he had given to Jake's cock only moments ago- before bringing them around to his own pucker, slipping one inside, pushing it in and out quickly. He added the second finger and soon enough found his sweet spot. His head fell back as he hit it, his other hand going for his aching cock, knowing exactly what the sight of him fucking himself did to Jake.

Jake cursed himself for being injured, unable to just grab Mike and throw him onto the bed to fuck him senseless, tied to just watch the show, his painfully hard erection almost bursting at the sight of Mike finger-fucking himself.

However, he did not have to wait very long, as Mike soon pulled his fingers out of his abused hole and crawled on top of Jake, holding his digits out to him. Knowing exactly what Mike wanted, the young blond licked the fingers, before sucking them into his mouth, eyes fluttering shut at the unique and bitter taste of Mike. Only a second later, he felt the internals of Mike's tight walls slowly surrounding him and let go of a loud groan, eyes shooting open to see Mike impaling himself onto his rock hard girth, hips involuntarily thrusting up, burying himself to the hilt, stretching Mike widely.

Mike threw his head back and uttered a loud scream; the pain and the burn making him feel whole.

"You're so fucking big Jake, it feels so fucking good."

He did not wait for his body to adjust to the feeling, did not take time to get used the fullness, instead he embraced the pain, as that sensation made the experience even better. Mike rolled his hips, before he started a slow rhythm, unusually slow and careful because of Jake's injuries. He arched his back when Jake hit his sweet spot, ecstasy racing through his veils, the slow paste making both men become undone. Sweat sparkled on their muscled bodies, groans and moans filling the air.

Jake started to thrust his hips up into Mike's willing body, meeting the older male's downward movements to set the rhythm he wanted, he liked, the feeling of those constricting, tight walls surrounding him and Mike's soft hands all over his chest letting him completely forget about the pain he was in. Grabbing the back of Mike's neck with one hand, he pulled the brunette down into a slobby, wet kiss, the latter's fingernails scrawling on Jake's chest.

Steadily increasing the pace, sweat trickling down their foreheads, short pants and low groans the only noises in the room, Mike pulled back again, his own lust-clouded eyes searching for the baby-blue depths of his lover, the lust, the passion, the love in them laying free for him to see.

Stilling his hips, Mike took a deep breath, smirking at the confusion written across Jake's handsome features, one hand twisted in the still blood-soaked blond hair, the other one on the larger male's chest, hungrily licking his lips. Jake's hips thrust up again, trying to get his lover to move, but Mike was frozen on the spot, smirk growing even wider.

"Fucking tease..."

Though it was hissed, Mike knew exactly how Jake meant it. He smirked and waited even longer. He wanted to make this last forever, not wanting to loose the connection between them, and most of all he wanted Jake to beg again. Instead, Jake wrapped his good hand around Mike's dick, roughly stroking it. The unexpected move made Mike scream out in ecstasy; a smirk plastered on Jake's face. Mike was not the only one who knew how to play this game.

Mike opened his eyes again and stared into Jake's, a battle of will going on while both men trembled from the tension, from the need between them. In the end, the hand on Mike's dick, the bucking hips still driving that thick cock against the bundle of nerves in him and the orgasm pooling in his gut, made Mike loose control and wildly he started to move again, impaling himself on the pulsing meat again and again.

He was the first to let go and under a string of profanities, he came hard, coating the slick chest and abs of Jake as well as the younger mans hand with hit warm, white ribbons, eyes fluttering shut, head thrown back, whole body shuttering under the intensity of his orgasm. Soon enough, he slumped down against the writhing body underneath, the continuing, frantic thrusts into his spent body making him almost instantly hard again as he nestled his face in the crook of Jake's neck.

Jake kept his hand wrapped around Mike's dick and never stopped rubbing him. He bucked his hips upward and upward, slowly losing control, the painkillers and the sex they had earlier making him last longer than he ever had before. He felt faint in his head as even more blood rushed to his already throbbing dick. Mike could barely take the feeling anymore as he felt the heat come over his body again.

With the still spasming walls around him, tightening the grip around his throbbing length even more, the sight of Mike's pleased features, the hot fluid covering him, Jake needed only a few more hard thrusts until he, too, lost control and came hard, the loss of blood and the intensity of his orgasm almost causing him to black out as he felt all his muscles tense and his body going rigid. The hot semen filling him, Jake's scream of pleasure, the almost painfully harsh movements on his dick and his still sensitive nerves soon had Mike on the edge again and he came again, the ribbons shooting out of him, adding to the mess on Jake's sweat-soaked body.

He was completely spend and exhausted. He relaxed on Jake's chest; hearts still racing, breathing still labored, Jake's good arm wrapped around Mike's waist, Mike's hands wrapped in Jake's hair. Neither of them was able to move, neither of them was able to think anymore. For minutes, they lay there, enjoying the post-orgasmic haze, enjoying each other.

Mike was the first to move, groaning as he rolled off the larger male, looking down at his sticky chest before glancing over at Jake, seeing the young man staring at him, eyes still filled with lust, but also with love.

"I think we need a shower."

It was only murmured, voice raw and weak, but Jake nodded, tucking in his bottom lip. The only times Mike had ever let him into his shower was for sex, but he doubted that either of them was in for another round right now. So what was it? Was Mike really letting his walls down for him? Finally? Mike and Jake had gone upstairs a few minutes ago to do whatever they had on their minds. Cody could care less about their sex-capades right now. The kitten was back on his lap, cradled up into a small ball of fur, soft snores coming from it as Cody held his head in his hands, elbows resting on the wooden table. The pill was giving him a headache, but at least it had soothed his nerves a bit. However, he still was worried about Ted, about Cena and Stephen maybe having followed him, or even storming into his lab any moment to kill his guts.

* * *

The more he was startled when the iron door flew open once again, but as he turned his head around, he locked eyes with a dishevelled and messed up Ted. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his blue, soft eyes scanned Ted's body from far away for any visible marks of the fight they had taken, but he could see neither any blood nor any signs of injuries on him.

Smiling, he slowly got up from his chair, kitten carefully placed onto the floor before he strode over to Ted, ignoring the whine little Teddy gave him for abandoning him. He could see Ted shaking, could see his muscles tensing under the tight sweater he was wearing, could see him biting hard onto his lips as he slowly approached him, eyes never leaving the green orbs staring straight back at him.

It was silent enough to hear a feather drop to the floor as Ted held his breath while Cody examined him from a closer distance, the soft, lean fingers brushing over almost every part of Ted's body there was, from his chest to his sides to his back, down to his hips, his waist, smaragd-blue eyes never failing to stay fixed on his own as Cody explored his body.

Ted's breath hitched as those cold fingertips came to his waistband, brushing over the small amount soft skin that was exposed and Cody could not help but smirk. The guy was pudding in his hands –if only he would not be married… AND religious like a damn priest.

"It's good to see you in one piece, Teddy… I don't know what I would have done without you."

His voice was soft, husky, almost seductively as he leaned on his toes to whisper into Ted's ear, the goose bumps on his skin not going unnoticed as his fingers stayed on the exposed skin of the older mans waist.

"I'd have needed to find me a new teasing-victim… and god knows it's so HARD to find someone who can please me as you do."

Ted had to close his eyes, silently repeating the prayer he had said minutes ago in church over and over again. Master Brooks had been more than shocked about his confessions. Him asking for forgiveness this time had been harder than ever before since he knew that it had topped everything he had ever done. But Master Brooks had listened, had given him some prayers to relay to, and had given him what he had wanted: confirmation that he would be forgiven by god. Once again.

Though, if Cody did not stop what he was doing right now, there would be much worse things to confess the next time. In his eyes, sex with another man was worse than physically hurting someone and he was sure that Brooks had the same views, judging by the vows he had chosen to give him after every time he had been in his chair.

As if Cody could sense it, he pulled away from Ted, innocence in his eyes in contrast with the cocky smirk on those full, kissable lips –and once again, Ted found his mind in the gutter, wondering on how those pretty lips would feel on his… no… he could not think about something like this, not now nor never. He was a strongly religious man, married, HAPPILY married… it was bad enough that he got a kick out of watching sinful acts of lust, that he hurt people, that he took drugs.

"How about a glass of milk, Teddy? Sounds appealing?"

He did not even wait for Ted to snap out of his trance, turning on his heals to walk over to the fridge, pulling out a box of milk, followed by two glasses from the counter next to it. He had already send Nick to get something for the kitten, knowing exactly the dirt-blond bitch would not turn his request down. Even though he did not have much power, Cody still was the one with the drugs and he knew how much Nick needed them. He would have tried to seduce him, but that sucker was straighter than straight.

Ted's eyes instantly traveled to that fine ass while Cody occupied himself with the "drinks", his pants becoming painfully tight once again, tongue darting out to lick his suddenly dry lips. God, what was it with this guy? With those feelings? Hopefully he would survive this day, cause if he would not die by a heart-attack while being in Cody's presence, there was still a good chance that Randy or Chris would kill him for fucking up today.

* * *

Friday Night-Party Night. Well, actually for Chris every night was a party night. For a man of his age, he still had a good stroke and enough stamina to put every young guy in that district to shame. The drugs sure did a great deal in helping him keeping up with the youth. Sometimes he really wondered what he would do without their Golden Boy –Cody that is- and his drugs.

Slamming down another shot of the transparent, burning liquid, he scanned the club for some hot piece of ass to fuck. If his wife knew… oh well, she would still do nothing to stop him, after all, HE was the one providing her the lifestyle she was living –all the jewelleries, new dresses, fast cars and country club invitations- but still… imagining the shock on her face drew a chuckle from him.

While the bartender filled his glass again, his eyes travelled towards the large guy on the other end of the club. He would have recognized that nose under a million. Smirking to himself, he grabbed the glass from the bar and slammed it down his aching throat again, before sliding off the stool and walking over towards his long-time rival.

"Hunter… old friend."

Slapping the tall blond on his back, he gained a threatening growl from him –threatening for anyone but him, since he knew better than the others- cold eyes scanning his confidence form up and down.

"Chris!"

His name was not only hissed, but he could also sense the slur in Hunter's voice, making his smirk grow even wider as a plan already formed inside that genius brain of his. Smacking his lips, he leaned against the wall in front of Hunter, blocking him the view on whatever prey he had checked out, gaining another growl from the slightly younger man.

"What'cha want?"

He shrugged, eyes quickly scanning the club for any of Hunter's goons, but to his relief finding none of them. Leaning even closer, he made sure to slur his words as well, giggling every now and then to give Hunter the best show ever.

"Ya know, Hunt… A've been watsching ya… clothely… Dat business of yas is weally blooming, isnt it?... Ya a bwilliant man, ya know?... Lot betta than Vince eva was."

He could see the blonde's chest swelling with pride, lips twitching into an arrogant smile as he listened to Chris' ramblings.

"It's a shame dat we've somethang you need da stay in business… something so much betta… something so awesome… you wun bewieve me when I dell ya."

Right away, he could sense Hunter's curiousness, from the way his brow cocked up, to the way he tilted his head, to the way his muscles tensed.

"Oh yeah… and that would be?"

God, the guy was not only drunk as fuck, but also stupid as hell.

"Ya gotta pwomise me somethang, Hunt… lemme thank of what I want for dat bit of oh so helpful infamation A'm about da give ya."

Hunter nodded knowingly, leaning closer to Chris, too close for the elder mans likings, the scent of alcohol burning his nostrils as Hunter breathed right into his face.

"Tell ma your price, fucker."

God, he really had to hold back now, to keep himself from smirking, from laughing at that blunt dullness of Hunter. He knew he was not the brightest himself, but Hunter? That guy outshone everyone when it came to being "blond".

"Ya know… I think I've a bwilliant idea… how bout ya… ya know… stay out of our district?"

Before he even knew what he was doing, Hunter nodded his head, grabbing Chris' hand tightly to shake it, sealing the deal.

"Ya've got it… now tell me bout dat special somethang that makes ya business so much betta than ours… that makes it so special!"

Inside, Chris was grinning like a maniac, knowing exactly that IF Hunter remembered their conversation –and he was sure he would- he'd go run his mouth to Regal… and there was no way in hell that Regal would break a promise. That guy might have been one hell of tough fucker as assassin and an even tougher businessman, but he at least kept his promises. He was a man of his word.

He motioned for Hunter to come even closer, the longhaired mans nose brushing over Chris' cheek, making him involuntarily shudder in disgust, swallowing down hard before he whispered.

"We have a Mikey who sucks dick like no one else… whose lips are made to wrap around my dick… whose ass is tight and warm… as good as that of a virgin… and he can use it in ways ya can't imagine it… and on top of that… We've angels… and kittens in our lab… they make us fly… they make us special."

If it had not been for covering up his stoned-play, he would have laughed out loud at the puzzled, almost incredulous expression at Hunter's face as he pulled back, eyeing Chris curiously, lips twitching as he tried to make out what the hell the eldest meant.

However, before he could ask another question, Chris nodded his head as a gesture of goodbye and fled through the crowd, knowing damn well that even while Hunter was busted as fuck, he could still kill him in less than a second –and Chris sure as hell did not want to take that risk.

* * *

Mike slowly woke up and he realized something was wrong; there was someone here. There was no danger; otherwise, the other one would have been dead already. Mike was just that lethal. But no matter the lack of peril, things were not how they were supposed to be. Mike was on his back, sprawled out just as usual, covers thrown back just as usual, but the thing that differed from normal was the heavy arm that hugged his waist, the leg that was draped over his own, the face that was pressed against his shoulder and the soft breathing in his ear. For some reason Jake was still here, for some reason he had not kicked him out last night and for some reason he did not care.

He was wide awake now but he decided not to open his eyes yet. The moment he did, he needed to deal with this, he needed to take the control back and he enjoyed it just a little bit too much to let that happen already.

He did not know that Jake was already awake and studying his face. He had barely slept, spending most of the night staring at Mike, not quite believing that Mike had allowed him to stay. Watching Mike sleep was the best way he ever spend a night. The normal hard, intense expression was gone, for the first time he saw Mike relaxed and almost innocent. He had never before been allowed to hold them this close, he had never been allowed anything but sex; hard, passionate, intense, amazing, like Mike himself was. Jake hoped that this night would change something between them; he hoped that Mike would finally let him in.

The last few minutes Jake had seen Mike slowly tense up and he knew he was awake. But why didn't he open his eyes? Why didn't he push him away? Why did he relax again, even cuddled closer to Jake? He pulled Mike against his body, thinking that this might very well be the last time Mike allowed him to hold him like this, so he would better enjoy it. Jake pushed his nose in Mike's neck and inhaled the manly scent, smelling faintly of his cologne, but also of sweat and sex. He could not resist to tenderly kiss his neck, not out of need, but out of love.

Jake had loved Mike since he was fifteen and Mike was seventeen. Even though all his friends were terrified of Mike and his parents warned him that he was bad news, Jake had done anything he could to get noticed. Mike had soon taken a liking to the younger boy, seeing the potential in his size, his love for violence and the puppy-love Jake showed him and he had used him as a bodyguard ever since. Whereever Mike went, Jake went.

The soft touches and kisses of Jake awakened something in Mike, something unfamiliar, something that scared him. He knew he should put a stop to this, but somehow he could not and he sighed under the caresses. Jake trailed a line of soft kisses across Mike's jaw, rubbed their cheeks together, earning another sigh from the brunette.

His right hand cupped Mike's face, thumb rubbed his cheekbone. The blond pulled back a little to study his face, to take in the beauty of the man in his arms. The expression on Mike's face left him breathless; he looked so

soft, almost vulnerable, a beautiful smile around his lips. He covered them with his own, praying that it would not destroy the moment between them, but Mike did not want this to stop.

He answered the kiss, completely thrown off guard by the sweetness of it and the warmth that flooded his body, concentrating around his heart. This must be what it felt like to care; this must mean he had a heart after all. He was torn between ending the kiss, throwing Jake out off his bed, his room, his life. However, in the end, he trusted Jake; he belonged to Mike in body, heart and soul; in every way possible Jake was his, so it would not hurt to let him in, just a little, right?

Mike trailed his fingertips over the biceps, up to his broad shoulder, ending up in the nape of Jake's neck, wondering why he never felt how soft the flaxen locks were. They spend minutes like this, enjoying each other, for the first time it was not about power or lust, it was about them.

After they pulled back, Mike finally opened his eyes and stared into Jake's baby-blues. Jake gasped when he saw the expression in Mike's eyes. Never before had he seen Mike this open, this warm; it was as if he had lowered his boundaries and allowed Jake a peek into his soul. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against Mike's lips, love bursting from every pore of Jake's body.

Mike at the same time was panicking; He did not understand what was happening right now; could not understand why he was drowning in Jake's eyes; wanted to break the gaze, to throw Jake out his room, but he could not move, could not think, and could not speak. A moment later Jake looked away, to rub his aching shoulder and with that, he broke the moment.

Suddenly Mike found himself back and he roughly pushed Jake away. He sat straight up and glared at Jake, the concrete walls, decorated with barbed wire snapped back into place; his face like stone; his eyes, that had been warm and open only a moment ago were now cold and impenetrable like steel.

"What the fuck are you still doing here? What the fuck do you think we are? This is just sex, nothing more and it will never be more. How stupid are you that I have to remind you of that after all these years. You're nothing but muscle with a big dick and cute ass. You're pathetic if you think there is a happily ever after. I don't need you, Jake. For you a million others to fuck…"

Jake's face fell at the onslaught, all the happiness he had felt only a moment ago faded away and he felt like an empty shell as he stared in the angry eyes of the man he loved more than his life. Tears pooled in his eyes as he started to collect his clothes, lips quivering, trying to find words, a way to make this right again.

"I love you Mike…"

"Don't you think I fucking know that? Why do you assume I care? Are you really that stupid that you don't know that I'm just using you?"

Mike had stood up from the bed and slowly walked up to Jake, his composure had changed again; he showed the oh-so-innocent, oh-so-dangerous attitude he normally put on around Ted; the attitude he used when he wanted to utterly humiliate someone.

"You didn't think I loved you back, didn't you sweetheart? You didn't believe there would be a happily-ever-after? Are you really that soft? Did you think I am? You're that naive, Jakey-boy? If it weren't so pathetic, it would be cute. Now get the fuck out of my room!"

Jake had never felt so small, so worthless, had never doubted himself this much. He was only partly dressed, but after a last, desperate look on Mike he fled the room. With his stupidity he had ruined anything he had with Mike. He should have known better yesterday, he should have left after Mike fell asleep. However, the way Mike had been worried about him, the way he had taken care of him last night; he had thought there had been tenderness in his actions, even love; he had thought he had seen love in his eyes this morning. Was he really that naive that he had mistaken Mike's usual games for something more? Tears streamed over his face at the thought he would never be with Mike again. He wanted to go back into the room; he would beg, he would crawl, he would do anything, but deep inside he knew that would be useless now, deep inside he knew he had not imagined the connection between them and that it had scared Mike shitless.

After Jake left, Mike slumped down on his bed again, trying to get some more sleep. When he closed his eyes, he saw images flashing before his eyes; Jake covered in blood last night; the pain on his face when they reset the

dislocated shoulder; Jake naked on his bed, slowly relaxing under the massage; Jake staring in his eyes this morning, love blazing from his eyes; Jake devastated, crying when he threw him out.

"If I had a heart I would cry right now."

That line repeated in his head over and over again. It was the closest Mike would ever come to crying.

* * *

"Yes sir... No sir... But sir, you heard that wrong, we have absolutely no problem with... Yes sir... I told you, Jericho is no problem... No sir, there's no need for you to come back..."

Hunter paced the room while talking in the phone, trying to keep his voice down, his mood turning fouler and fouler. It had taken him ten fucking years before his father in law had entrusted the business to him and now he was threatening to come back, cause his wife - his wife of all people - had told Vince of the money they were losing in drug sales and how Jericho's people were taking over town. The bitch did not know anything. It was just the drugs, and a bit of the gambling, and the fighting, and he heard they had a hit man who was the best assassin the town had ever seen, but the rest of the town was still his.

The opening door went unnoticed by him, the brunette, old Englishman stepping into the office making almost no noise at all, silently closing the door behind him again as he arched a brow, catching parts of Paul's conversation.

"Sir, we have it under control, I promise. Our men are taking care of the problem... no ... no, not problem... they're taking care of those punks. That's what I meant. Jericho has nothing on us. Him and that Orton-boy aren't even half as smart as we are. They know nothing about this business. ... I know... everything you've taught me... I'm using it well. By the end of the month their names will be history, I promise that."

Five minutes later his father in law finally ended the call, unfortunately not seeming too convinced in Hunter's promises and never really saying that he would NOT come back. Hunter threw the phone through the room, where it shattered in pieces right next to Regal's head, who could only just duck out of the way.

"Fuck Regal, can't you make a noise or something. You're like a freaking ghost."

Regal shrugged. He had worked as a hitman before Vince had made him partner, so walking silently was like a second nature. Hunter was quite the opposite; huge, loud, obnoxious, always drunk and quite frankly terribly dumb. In the few months that Vince had been gone, the business had been going downhill, with Jericho and Orton slowly sneaking in and stealing parts of the business. And now that raging bull had promised to take them out, while the smarter thing was to take what made them priceless; they needed their chemist and the guy who actually seemed to do all the work, the guy who was seen everywhere and knew everything. They needed Mike Mizanin and with him would come that huge assassin, who was rumoured to be even better than Regal had been in his days.

Seeing that Regal was not about to speak on his own, Hunter grunted as he plopped down in his heavy leather-chair, lighting a cigarette, inhaling sharply.

"What do you want, Regal?"

The older man shrugged again as he slowly walked over to him; for a man his size and his weight he was really moving quiet silently and easily. Sitting down in the chair opposite to Hunter, he randomly grabbed a pen from the desk between them, swirling it around in his fingers while his eyes stayed fixed on his co-partner.

"Actually, Hunter... I wanted to tell you that that Farelly boy was at our docs place only a few minutes ago. He seemed to be pretty shaken up, bloody nose, bloody shoulder, obviously some broken ribs, too. As doctor James reported, that punk had asked him for free treatment and a house-visit as soon as possible. He was talking about his buddy I assume. I've no doubt it was the work of those bloody goons, those two bums who work for Orton and Jericho."

His heavy English accent filled the room as Hunter listened closely, fist clenching and unclenching with every single word, eyes filling with hatred, with anger, with rage.

"Why should I fucking care who they beat up? Farrelly and Cena have nothing to do with us. They have robbed and beaten up our runners more than once. That are two clients I don't mind losing."

Regal sighed; didn't Hunter see the bigger picture?

"You don't get it, Hunt, do you? Farrelly and Cena getting beaten up means they will most likely be out for revenge, will most likely be out for blood. And that's where we will come in. We will be the ones waiting for them to strike and WHEN they strike, we only have to do a few more easy steps to take back what once belonged to us. If Farrelly and Cena kill those goons... or hurt them as badly as I assume they will, we can easily steal their two best and most brilliant assets... Mizanin and that Runnels boy. And if he is still able to walk, I am sure that Hager-guy can also be of some sort of use for us. With Orton and Jericho out and most of their cavalry dead or hurt, those boys need a new lead, a new place to work at... and that's us."

Bah," Hunter huffed. "We don't need them, we're doing fine. If that Mizanin is as good as you think he is, why isn't he running the business? What I heard from Jericho when I spoke to him last night, is that that guy is only a whore and that Randy and Chris only tolerate him for this skills he has in that area."

Hunter leant back in his chair, crossing his arms and looked incredible pleased with himself. "I don't need a boy in my bed, William. But if you want one, just take Matthew. I guess he's quite prone on sleeping his way to the top."

The Englishman stifled the urge to strangle him. He was usually pretty patient, it took so much for him to loose it, but Hunter drove him crazy. He would call Vince again, to beg him to come back or at least throw Hunter out. He could run things a lot better on his own, or even better, with that Mizanin-boy at his side. He had been following him and his bodyguard from a young age and he had been disappointed when Chris had taken him under his wing just before Regal could get the guy to join them.

He grunted, shifting around in his seat to rest his elbows on the desk, leaning forward a bit, closer to Hunter.

"You know, boy... you should do your homework more often, then you might know that Mizanin is the one with the brilliant mind, the one leading Orton and Jericho... and why the fuck have you been talking to the enemy? Don't we already have enough troubles?"

Hunter scoffed, leaning back in his big chair, arms crossed over his broad chest as he snarled.

"Watch how you're talking, Regal. Last time I've checked, I was the one married to the boss's daughter. And just for your information... I tried to intimidate Jericho... tried to get some information out of him that day. He was so stoned, he wouldn't even have realized it if I slit his throat."

"And did it work, you moron? Did he tell you anything?"

Hunter pulled a face annoyed by the questioning. Did that asshole think he was stupid or something?

"Well, no...," he had to admit, "I just had to listen for 30 minutes to how amazing Mikey was with his mouth and how surprisingly tight his ass was and how annoyed he was that Mike spend so much time with that useless assclown made out of muscle as Chris put it. And he mentioned something about cats and angels living in his lab. He was pretty far out I guess."

Regal sighed, rubbing his face with both hands, growing more and more tired by the man's explanation.

"And tell me, dear, what did you tell Chris to give you this very useful bit of information?"

Hunter chewed his lips, tilting his head from side to side, avoiding eye-contact with Regal as long as possible, pondering on whether to tell him or not.

"So?"

He sighed, leaning forward to get into Regal's face, smirking.

"I told him we'd keep our apes away from their district if he gave me some good information."

Regal could not believe it, throwing his hands up into the air, rolling his eyes as a loud groan of frustration left him.

"You really are a moron, Hunter. So... now we have to stay clean of their district and all it has gotten us are "there's angles and cats in our lab"? What the fuck?"

"It's not like I intent to keep that promise you shit fuck."

Regal nearly exploded now; he hated cursing, but even more, he hated being cursed at. He had had enough and he backhanded Hunter so hard he fell down his chair.

"Haven't I taught you anything? Have you ever listened to me or to Vince at all? We're not common criminals. This is a business. We are gentleman and we keep our promises. You are a useless cow Hunter. I wonder why Vince did not just let Stephanie take over the business. Even a dog could do better then you. Hell, even Matthew could do better, and all he cares about is his tan and his abs. You might be married to the boss's daughter, but never think that will keep Vince from throwing you out."

Hunter held his cheek, staring on in disbelief as Regal stormed out of his office. The Englishman could not be in the same room with that moron any longer or else he would have killed him. Rolling his eyes, Hunter slowly got up again, hand gripping tightly onto the desk to pull his weight off the floor while he rubbed his cheek, cursing under his breath. Regal would have to pay for that. How dare him to lay hand on him? How dare him to fucking yell at him?

* * *

**Reviews please? I'll give you a cookie!**


	3. Favors

**A/N: **

We're happy about everyone who alerted this story or one of us, but do us a favor and leave us a short review, too, please? We don't care if it's short or long, positive or negative, creative criticism or only a suggestion. But we need feedback to become better. And let us know what you wanna see… do you want some pairing? Do you want someone dead? Do you want someone included in the story? Do tell us and we might even do it. But we can't guarantee that the people you want included stay alive, and it might be a few chapters 'till they appear, so be patient.

Teeheehee... yeah, Cody and Mike are quite evil little bitches in this story and believe us, it will get even worse. This chapter's rather harmless and more or less concentrating on the relationships and connections between the "gang"-members themselves. We're already half-way through with the next chapter and have so much planned out for the story that we'd be lost without our muses.

The whole chapter takes place in between 2 or 3 hours. It's still Saturday by now, around 8 or 9 am when the chapter starts.

Disclaimer: All rights belong to WWE. The only things we own are our INsanity and the muses. (For whom we are more than thankful right now)

Warnings: Slash and bad language... yeah... that's pretty much all the warning we have for this chapter. Told ya, it's harmless. Well, there is some mention of violence and killing and such.

**Chapter 3: Favors**

Mike groaned, waking up after a few restless hours of sleep. Normally he never dreamt, but now he'd had terrible nightmares, all of them about Jake; Jake leaving him; Jake dying; Jake hating him forever. These dreams left him with a terrible ache in his chest, they left him feeling empty and incredible lonely. For Mike it was a terrible realization that he needed Jake, that he cared for Jake, maybe even loved him. He hid his head in his hands, having no idea how to handle this, how to make things right again. Hell, he didn't even know what right was. Last night and this morning, things had changed between them; a change that left Mike feeling flattened and scared and that was a feeling he wasn't used to.

He looked at the clock and pushed himself of the bed. There was work to do and he pushed Jake to the back of his head. He would worry about that later. A few minutes later he entered the lab, that was fortunately empty for now. He breathed a little easier. He didn't want to run into Cody yet. He let out a frustrated groan; when did he start to care about other people anyway? He sat down on his desk and opened his laptop.

The peace was only going to last for a couple of minutes, when Cody came in. With a cold glance at Mike, he huffed and sat down at his desk. Mike studied him from above his laptop, making sure Cody didn't see him. Cody was in a foul mood, loudly shoving things from one side to another and mumbling beneath his breath. He was still a little angry with Mike for calling him weak, cause that was what Mike comments had meant to him, but he also felt a little bit ashamed for what he had said to Mike. But he refused to be the one who took the first step again.

Mike bit his lip, trying to make up his mind, he refused to apologize. Cody had hurt him more than he had ever let someone hurt him and he would never let him come this close again. However, Cody didn't need to know that. Knowing Cody only a small gesture was enough to make him follow. So when he was getting coffee for himself, he also poured Cody a cup and put it on his desk.

"Here. I know you can't survive without coffee."

Cody looked up to Mike, trying to keep frowning, but a small smile formed around his lips anyway. Inwardly he cursed for not being able to hold a grudge.

"I'm still mad at you, you know."

Mike nodded, grinning at his friend.

"I'm still mad at you, too. Look… I know you're to stubborn to apologize."

Cody nodded, chewing his lips, a frown still on his forehead. Mike was damn right about that, even if he was, well… sorry for what he said.

"Well, so am I. So we could just call it even and forget about it."

"Hmm… yeah… fine."

Mike smiled and sat down behind his desk again. He spoke soft, so Cody could only just hear his words.

"You know there's nothing wrong with having had a happy childhood; with having had opportunities in life; with taking what you're offered."

Cody's head snapped upward and his eyes focussed on Mike.

"That doesn't make you weak Cody. That doesn't make you less than people who had it hard. It makes you lucky. Even though I have no problems with who I am and how I've become, that doesn't mean I'm not jealous at you sometimes. It doesn't stop me from wondering who I'd be if I'd grown up in less shit. You didn't have to come back to work here after college. You could've done everything you wanted, but you chose the dangerous road. Why did you do that? You could've had a normal life now, a boyfriend, a house in a nice part of town, you could've made up with your parents again. Why Cody?"

Cody had tears in his eyes from Mike's speech. It took him quite a while to gather his thoughts, to answer his question.

"I've thought about jumping ship. I've been offered several jobs, but in the end they just didn't appeal to me. I wanted to be my own man, do what I wanted, not being held down by stupid government regulations and I wanted to get shitty rich."

He sighed, locking eyes with the brunette who now hopped onto his desk. Mike tried to keep his grin contained. With only a few well chosen words he had Cody back on his side again. Cody was pretty useful, not only because of the drugs, but mostly because Randy was like molten wax in his hands. Too bad the guy was so freaking soft.

"Why do _you_ do it Mike? You're fucking smart. Why do you put up with Randy and Chris?"

It was Mike's turn to avoid the piercing glance of Cody. Cody was just a little bit too smart, too insightful and he had told him just a little bit too much.

"Chris wasn't so bad when I joined him almost ten years ago. He was still trying to find his way and he listened to me. All I needed is to make him believe things were his own ideas. I was younger then and wasn't ready to take the lead myself. And Chris wasn't nearly as disgusting as he is now. And even Randy wasn't this fucking psycho back then. Well he was psycho, but he had it under control. The drugs fucked him up bad. He doesn't show it as much around you or Chris; but I'm pretty sure he's hearing voices who tell him what to do and for some reason I bring them out."

"Why don't you walk out of it?"

"That's getting more and more appealing as time goes on."

He sighed and raked his hand through his hair.

A noise at the door made the two men look up. Leant against the doorway, smoking a joint, stood a dirty-blond man of about Mike's age. His hair was slicked backwards, his white button-up hung open and showed off his abs and his tan, that was more orange than anything else.

"I'm here to pick up the good stuff."

At the familiar voice, Teddy, who was sleeping on a cabinet, yawned and stretched, jumping down on Nick's head. Nick panicked and swept at the tiny kitten on his head, that stayed calm, buried his nails in the skin and jumped down in one graceful movement, before tiptoeing, tail high up in the air, towards Mike and Cody who were almost pissing themselves with laughter. Nick tried to kick Teddy to get revenge.

"I wouldn't do that Nicky," Mike said in a low and threatening tone.

"You touch that cat and you touch me. And that will be very, very unpleasant for both of us. I hate getting my hands dirty. But on the other hand, I can also let Jake handle it. Has he ever told you how much he loves blood? What it does to him when someone bleeds out in front of him? Oh Nicky, you should see his face when he kills. It turns me on like nothing else."

Both Cody and Mike smirked when Nick paled, looking away from the piercing look of two pairs of blue eyes, one pair amused, the other pair cold and lethal. Teddy had jumped on the desk, rubbing his head against Cody and Mike, before he started to lick his paw. He was looking very smug. Cody stood up and grabbed the bag with cat food off the floor, walking to the kitchen to poor some of it on a dish. Teddy raised his little head in the air, sniffed and ran to the food. Mike grabbed a package from the table and handed it to Nick, who was still trembling.

"It's less than usual, but I don't want you guys walking around with too much stuff or money anymore. I'll see you in two days. Had any trouble?"

"Nope, I've found some kids who deal for me among their friends, so we have a way into the schools. All they ask is a little bit for themselves, but it almost doubled the market in those districts and we have to take less risks."

"Good. If you see either Cena, Stephen or Hunter's goons, let me know, but stay away from them. Don't take any risks."

Nick frowned, trying to figure out that one thing he needed to tell Mike. It had seemed important, but had slipped out his mind. Mike crossed his arms as the blond was almost cross-eyed from thinking. His pupils were huge, a clear sign that this wasn't his first joint today.

"I… err… there was something important… you said you wanted to know 'bout Hunter?"

Mike nodded, trying to look friendly and patient.

"Me and Matthew, we're at the same gym and we've been talking. Looks like he's trying to be friends."

"Does he know who you are?"

"I think so… yeah… but I haven't told him anything."

"Good boy. You're gonna play along, hang out with him, make sure you're there when he is and when he starts to trust you, I'll tell you what to say and what to ask okay?"

Mike grinned, a plan already forming in his head. If things worked out he would get rid off Jericho, Orton and Hunter in one go.

He didn't know that Jake stood in the door opening for more than ten minutes now; he came down from his room just as Cody had come in. He had hoped just to see only Cody here, that Mike was still in his own room. He needed painkillers, every minute things started to hurt even more, not only his injuries from last night, but also his heart. The last few hours he had convinced himself that he and Mike were history.

Teddy had finished eating and was now running around the room until he suddenly saw the half open door, with one of his friends behind it. Happily he ran towards it, rubbing himself around Jake's ankles, before standing on his hind legs mewling, begging to be picked up. Mike looked in the direction of the sound and saw the half open door and stood up to close it.

"Codes, you need to watch the door, before you know it Teddy's gone."

"I didn't open it, I came in through the back door."

Jake turned around and started to walk away, but he was too late. Mike had opened the door and his eyes grew wide when he saw Jake trying to get away. How long had he been standing there? Was he avoiding him?

"Jake!"

Jake turned around at the obvious relief in Mike's voice. At first he wanted to avoid Mike's eyes, but he was drawn towards them. His lip started to tremble again, fearing to see the coldness again, instead he met warmth and concern. Mike reached up to touch Jake's face, but let his hand fall to his side, realizing he might have thrown that right away. He turned around and motioned Jake to follow him. Jake didn't understand what happened, but at least Mike hadn't yelled at him or hit him or anything, and as long as Mike allowed him in his life, Jake was happy.

The room was getting crowded. Cody was still sitting behind his desk, Nick had stayed behind to see if he could prey some drugs away from Cody, and Ted and Carlos burst in at the same moment Mike and Jake came back. Ted was slightly cowering with the prospect of having to deal with both Mike and Cody and Carlos had eyes as big as saucers from the pills he had taken only a moment before. Carlos bounced up to Mike, not noticing the scowl on Mike's and Jake's face.

"I'm fine again boss, I can work again, just tell me what to do."

Carlos only stood inches away from Mike, who pulled a face at the sour breath. Mike groaned, the annoying little bitch had a crush on him. A long time ago it had been funny, but he kept fucking things up in futile attempts to impress Mike.

"Cody has your stuff. It's for two days, then I'll see you again for a new bash. Keep away from Cena and Stephen, they get nothing. We'll handle them later this week."

Carlos let his hands trail over Mike's biceps, pushing his nose in his neck before Mike could stop him.

"In only two days boss, only two? I knew you couldn't miss me."

Disgusted Mike pushed the dreadlocked latino away and he wiped his neck clean.

"Can I kill him, Mike?" Jake growled.

"Maybe later, babe. Find me a new runner first."

He growled at Carlos, "I'll have to look at your dirty face again in two days time, because you fucked up with Cena. I blame you personally for what happened. I told you a million times not to take your whole stock with you. The only reason that you're still walking is that I haven't decided what to do with you yet."

Now he turned to Jake again, the labored breathing not going unnoticed, the lines in his face witness of his pain. Carefully he examined his shoulder, afraid there might me an infection. The shoulder was swollen but not too much, and the temperature was normal. He sighed in relief. He wanted to avoid the hospital, he wanted to avoid any place where you needed to ID.

"Where's your sling Jakey? That's the only way it's gonna heal."

Jake chewed his bottom lip, blushing a little bit, avoiding Mike's eyes.

"It's in… err… your room, and I didn't want…"

Mike sighed and rubbed his face. He was such a stupid idiot. He had scared Jake away. Jake who had gone with him through everything, Jake who had never shied away from anything he did. He was very aware of the four people looking on, none of them having anything to do with this. The only thing that missed was Randy and Chris barging in. He turned around and glared at all of them, before turning back to Jake with a warm smile on his face.

"Look Jake… go to my room okay? I'll be there in five minutes… wait for me please? I wanna talk to you."

Jake nodded, and after a last glance at Mike and a glare at the other four he walked back upstairs. Mike brought his attention back to the other men in the room.

"It's no fucking carnival in here. Nick, Carlos, piss off unless there's something important you want."

The two stoned men glanced at each other and fled the lab, knowing very well not to mess with Mike. He focussed his glance on Ted, who was shaking in a corner, as far away from Cody as possible, whispering prayers under his breath.

"Be nice!"

Cody whispered to Mike, halfway between begging and commanding. Mike looked into Cody's sky-blue eyes that were large with concern, a cute pout on his full lips. Mike smile, he could be nice to Ted, just for once, and he had just thought of a way that would get him what he wanted too.

"One condition…"

Cody nodded.

"You talk to Randy about needing a third hit man. Tell him about yesterday, act like the scared little boy that you play so well, flirt with him and make him promise you that and make him talk to Chris about it."

Cody nodded. He could do that, Randy didn't scare him, he never hurt him. Well, not in a bad way that was. He was already thinking about a way that would make him convince Randy to help him persuade Chris to let him keep his kitten. Mike walked towards Teddy, his posture relaxed and a nice smile on his face. The smile became wider when he realized that this scared Ted even more. Caught in his own world of prayer Ted had missed the conversation between Mike and Cody. Mike patted Ted on the shoulder.

"You did good yesterday."

Ted's eyes grew big, his mouth fell open.

"I did?"

"Yeah, what I heard you saved Jake's life. Or did Jake lie for you, darling?"

He couldn't help the vicious way this came out. It was just too easy with Ted. Ted shook his head, trying to believe he would came off this easily.

"Teddy? Next time, come report back before you go to church. That will make me happy. And if I'm happy, I don't think about killing you and that makes Cody happy. And when Cody is happy, he makes good drugs for you. Comprende?"

He was already halfway out the room when he added.

"Oh Teddy? Chris needs you in an hour. Jake would go, but he is not up to that. While you're with him, report back about yesterday and try to convince him that you need a third man. And please act like the deadly guy you are, not like a cowering boy. Chris hates cowards. They remind him of himself I guess."

Grinning he left the room. With a little bit of luck he could avoid this topic with both Chris and Randy and get what he wanted at the same time.

As soon as Mike was gone, Ted all of a sudden felt more than uncomfortable again. All alone with Cody in the lab? Not really what he wanted.

Cody smirked at him, still sitting at his desk, Teddy junior now on his lap, wet nose tapping against his chin as it was trying to get his attention, but Cody was too busy making Ted's body temperature rise. Carefully ruffling his fur, Cody's eyes stayed fixed on Ted, eyes shimmering with lust and pure evilness –playful evilness that was- as he licked his lips.

"So, Teddy…"

The blond looked up from his feet, whole body tensing as he locked eyes with the brunette beauty, the looks he was giving him clearly speaking for themselves.

"How bout we go to Chris and Randy together, huh?"

Ted swallowed hard, giving another silent prayer away, before slowly nodding his head. He did not miss Cody's toothy grin, did not miss how his eyes sparkled, how his hand slid through the kitten's fur, how he made it mewl… the voice in his head telling him that this show was clearly just for him.

Cody got up, carefully placing little Teddy on the floor, ignoring the whine it gave as he strutted over to Ted –his eyes never leaving the older male's- and stopping right in front of his, small smirk on his lips.

"Who knows what Randy's up to today. I just hope I don't need to give him another "favor" in order to get a third man for us."

With the word "favor", he winked at Ted, making more than clear what he was talking about, sending the older man's mind straight back into the gutter. Licking his lips and watching Ted heavily blush; Cody already had formed an idea in his head. Seemingly, he had found Ted's weakness… the one thing he loved more than anything else, though he would never admit it. However, the blonde's body language and his reaction spoke more than thousand words.

The whole way to the office four blocks down, Ted was silent like a grave. Even when Cody tried to have a normal conversation with him, Ted could not find his voice to answer, to react. He was too busy acting like a little schoolboy on his first date than to even realize that Cody had placed his arm around his waist during their walk.

Cody grinned widely as he realized that Ted was too far off with his thoughts, not even reacting when he had grabbed the elders arm and placed it around his waist. Obviously, his words earlier had had the effect on him that he wanted them to have. It had clearly set Ted off, had clearly make him think, hard enough to drift off.

It was not before they reached the old two-storing brick-house and Cody let out a low groan, that Ted finally snapped out of his world, inwardly pulling his arm away in shock when he realized where it was. His eyes widened as he tried to find the words, but too many emotions hindered him from saying what he truly wanted to –a mix of shame, embarrassment, rage, puzzlement, guilt and wrath going through him.

Cody gave him his best apologetic look, sticking his bottom lip out in a cute pout, though inside he was grinning like a maniac.

"Teddy… it felt so good to have your arm around me… give it back!"

Ted shook his head –more to himself than to Cody- breathe shaky, even more so when Cody took a step closer again, grabbing his hand to squeeze it, getting on his toes to whisper in his ear.

"What were you thinking about anyways, Teddy? You were so out of it… and you had that absolutely adorable grin on your lips the whole time… where you dreaming about a sexy little brunette? One that can suck you like none other?"

Ted struggled to get away from Cody, once again his jeans getting too tight for his likings, trying to keep himself from moaning out at the feeling of Cody's lips so close to his skin, the hot breath caressing his flesh and those sinful words branding in his mind.

Seeing it had worked, Cody pulled away from Ted, gently patting his arm before turning on his heals and entering the building, only stopping to look back at Ted over his shoulder with a wink.

"You coming, Teddy? I don't think Chris likes to wait."

* * *

Mike came back to his room and halted for a few seconds before he went inside, leaning his head against the cold wood of the door. He had no idea what he was gonna say; no idea what would happen if he stepped through that door. For a man who craved control, who thought about every action in advance, not to have plan was like jumping from a plane without a parachute.

He entered the room to see Jake standing at the window, leaning on the windowsill, staring outside. Mike went towards him, standing beside him, copying his pose.

"Well, look at this shit. This must not have been what you were dreaming about when you were a kid."

"From the moment I met you, the only thing I saw for my future was you, Mike. I don't give a shit about where I live as long as I have you by my side."

Jake had decided that since he had already blown it, he would get everything off his chest today. If Mike would throw him away, throw them away, that would be his choice, but he would go down fighting. Jake had gotten a taste of something more and he was not about to go back to being only a bodyguard and a fuck buddy. It was all or nothing now. So the look he gave Mike was open and piercing; all his feelings were on the outside.

Mike met his eyes for only a few seconds, before it became too much to bear. He looked away again, his mind reeling, trying to find an escape. He found that in the sling that was still lying on a chair next to the bed. He quickly picked it up and started to fit it around Jake's shoulder.

"I really fucked you up, didn't I?"

Jake groaned, annoyed, shaking his head, letting his good hand graze Mike's side. Mike shuddered under that loving touch.

"Why do you keep acting like this? I chose this life and I'm perfectly happy with it. You gave me and still give me, everything I ever wanted and more."

Suddenly Jake realized what this was about. He finally understood why Mike was so scared. It wasn't only that he was afraid to lose control, that he was afraid of his own feelings, but there was something else, too.

"Come on Mike, you know me. I have a sick mind. I love hurting people; I get a kick out of people dying, especially if I caused it; there's only a handful of people that I would have a problem with killing; and only one I would never hurt. Because hurting you, would mean hurting myself and I love myself way too much to ever do that."

He cupped Mike's face, forcing him to meet his eyes.

"You didn't make me who I am Mike, but you gave me what I needed. You made me feel good about myself again; you helped me tone my skills; you gave me a purpose in life; you gave me you. Why won't you let me give you something back?"

Mike bit his lip, feeling the control slide away from him with every word Jake spoke.

"But you already gave me so much… you always have my back; you're always here; there are times when you're the only one keeping me sane. Every time I come back from…"

Abruptly he shut his mouth, afraid to say anymore, knowing that if he continued that sentence he was lost. Jake sighed.

"Every time you come back from Chris or Randy you mean? Do you really think I don't know what they do to you? Do you think I don't notice the bruises? Or the look on your face? Or that you never let me near you before you've taken a shower? Or the way you want me to fuck you then? Like I need to drive your demons away? I see Mike, I know Mike, and you have no idea what I'm gonna do to them the minute you let me. I know you, Mike and I understand you better then anyone else could, cause in so many ways we are the same."

Mike shrugged his hands off and turned towards the window again. He clenched his fist and buried his nails in his hands, the physical pain keeping the emotional pain bearable. How could that he had never seen that Jake knew? How had he missed this? Had he been fooling himself all the time?

"Why can't you let me in? What are you so afraid of? There is nothing that you can say or do that can make me turn away. Nothing, beside that you don't want me in your life. It's me Mike, it's me! I'm yours; in every way possible I'm yours."

Jake hugged him from behind. He could feel Mike stiffen but he wasn't about to let go.

"You're looking for something that I can't give you. You're better of with someone else, someone with feelings, someone like Cody."

"Mikey…," Jake's voice was soft next to Mike's ear. "I don't want someone like that annoying little boy. I want you. I love you for exactly the way you are. I love the way you play with people; I love your ruthlessness; I love your brutality; I love how you manipulate the world to do exactly do what you want, I love that you never feel remorse; I love how you order me and everyone else around; I love the way you scare people shitless just by smiling at them; I love your strength and intelligence, the way you handle pain; the way you do everything that is needed to get what you want; and most of all I love seeing you kill, it's even better than killing myself. I don't want to change anything about you. The only thing I wanna change is how we act when it's just us."

"I don't think I can let you in Jake… I don't think I can do this… it will destroy who I am."

Jake sighed and forced Mike to turn around so he could meet Mike's eyes. Mike blue depths stared back at him, unusually open, all doubt and fear and pain clearly on the outside. Jake's word had touched a core deep inside, they had made him realize that when he admitted that it was more than sex between them, when he opened his heart, that he wouldn't be able to handle the pain and humiliation anymore. And most of all he was afraid it was already to late to turn back.

"Why can't you trust me Mike? Do you think you are better off without me? Do you think you are better off alone? 'Cause I don't think so. I think you need me and I think that scares you shitless."

The way Mike avoided his gaze was enough answer for him.

"I don't understand why this scares you so much. I'm not asking you to give up control. I'm not asking for you to marry me, or to scream your feelings out to the world. I'm not even asking you to admit to yourself that you love me. The only thing I ask of you to let me love you, to let me hold you, to let me show you how much I love you. The only thing I ask of you is to let me in, just a little bit."

Mike met his eyes again; fear and uncertainty pooling on the surface, but they were not enough to hide the warmth that lay deep inside.

Jake dipped his head, maintaining eye contact. His lips brushed over Mike's, firmer when Mike didn't shy away. He kissed Mike tender and loving; sweet and soft; desperate and longing. He kissed Mike like he never been kissed before. The kiss unfurled a flood of emotions in Mike. He hungrily answered it, clinging himself to Jake, finding something he never knew he lost. The moment Jake's lips left his, the strong body moved away from his, he felt alone and cold. He hugged his arms around his chest to prevent his heart from falling out.

"Think about it Mike, just think about it and let me know when you are ready. But know one thing. You can try to drive me away; you can run away yourself; You won't be able to lose me."

* * *

Randy was busy with some documents, head in his free hand while signing papers over papers, seemingly annoyed by the shitload of work the job brought. Sure, it had been his own fault that he had waited with this stuff all week long, rather going out to party, rather getting stoned, but still… why couldn't Chris sign that damn stuff?

He was so deep in concentration, just reading through on order of weapons when Cody silently entered the office, peeking his head inside to make sure Randy was even there, before walking in, a slight frown grazing his face as he spotted a distressed Randy over a load of papers.

Distressed and annoyed Randy was never good. He would have to give it his best today, if he wanted to succeed. Slowly walking up to him, he cleared his throat, biggest smile and puppy-dog-eyes on his face as soon as Randy looked up from his work.

"What do you want?"

The coldness and venom in his voice would have made anyone jump… or run, but not Cody. He knew better than to show any weakness around his boss, his mentor, his… friend? Yeah well, sometimes he could be friendly to him, but those times were rare. He just hoped that today was one of those days.

Cody chewed his lips, smile never fading as he walked around the desk, slowly, very slowly, fingertip brushing the wooden surface as he locked eyes with Randy, fluttering his lashes.

"I need a little favor, Randy… a tiny, little favor."

"And you came to me?"

The tone of his voice was already softening as he leant back in his chair, turning it to face Cody, his legs spread and arms resting on his abs, left brow arched as a smirk graced his features.

Cody nodded, carefully climbing onto Randy's lap, squeaking a bit in surprise when Randy grabbed his ass to pull him flat against him, pushing their groins together, the older mans lips ghosting over his own, smirk growing even wider.

"Tell me what you want, my little slut."

It was a low growl, not harsh but husky, Randy's fingertips brushing over the exposed skin on Cody's back right above his waistband.

Cody's bottom-lip was tucked in, blue eyes fluttering shut for a second before he smirked at his boss, his own arms now wrapped around Randy's neck, the obvious bulge in Randy's pants rubbing against his groin.

"Well… you know… Teddy and Jake had a little run in with Cena and Farrelly yesterday… and they got almost killed."

He knew he was over-exaggerating, but it was for their own good. They needed a third man quick, and a little lying would sure help to convince Randy.

His boss listened closely, brows furrowing in concentration, giving the boy a quick nod to go ahead.

"Well… with Hunter's boys running around… and Cena and Farrelly out for revenge… we kind of have the numbers against us. And we were thinking…"

"We?"

Randy scowled.

_"Damn little Mizanin-bitch is using Cody as his doll again, letting him do the work while he probably was in his room getting fucked by this blond gorilla of his. You need to show him his place"_

Shaking his head, he ordered the voice to stop. Having to listen to Cody was already bad enough, but that voice in his head was adding to his already existing headache.

"Well… me, Ted, Jake and Mike… well… we thought we need a third hitman."

Randy's brow shot up, tilting his head as his hip moved against Cody's groin, his tongue darting out to lick his lip.

"Is that so, huh?"

Cody frowned, seeing that glee in Randy's eyes –the one he only ever had when being out on a hunt so to speak- biting hard on his lip as he nodded.

"Actually… we KNOW that we need a third man… as long as you and Chris want us to live a little longer."

That almost did the trick, as Randy leaned back again, his hands leaving Cody's back as he wrapped them behind his own head, eyeing Cody while he thought about it; lips tightly pressed together, brows furrowed in concentration.

Cody's eyes stayed fixed on his mentor's face, almost able to see his wheels work, holding onto Randy's thighs to keep himself seated in the older mans lap.

"I mean… Randy… they almost were killed… or at least badly hurt… and who knows… when Cena and Farrelly are out for revenge, we'll be easy prey. Hunter's goons are stalking us 24/7 anyways. We really need another man to cover our work… Ted's and Jake's work. Sure, they are good, really good… but with the numbers against us, even they have a hard time staying alive. And I don't want them to die… or get hurt… and I doubt you want that, do you? I mean… Jake's the best man we ever had… you don't want to lose him, right?"

Sighing in defeat, Randy shook his head, the eyes that had closed while Cody had done the talking now fluttering open again as he stared intensely at the young man in his lap, his lips still pressed together.

"Please, Randy? For me! You… you don't want me to get hurt? What if they find the lab and come in while I'm alone? I need someone who doesn't only help Ted and Jake, but also someone who stays with me… please?"

That definitely did it, Randy leaning forward again to grab Cody's neck tightly with one hand, pulling him in for a rough kiss, other hand grabbing Cody's ass to give it a firm squeeze, growling into his mouth. For some reason, he had always had a soft spot for the boy, from the very first day they had met as children. Cody must have been no older than 5 then. He had seen the potential in him from day one and had done almost everything in his power to get Cody under his wings as soon as the boy had been old enough to not only use, but also produce drugs. His endless knowledge about chemistry had always impressed Randy to no end… and the talented mouth and tight ass had definitely been a big plus, too.

"You better give me something in return, Codes… God knows Chris will kill me for saying yes."

Smiling into the kiss, Cody nodded, lips never leaving each other as he ground his hips down into Randy's straining bulge, a soft mewl escaping him as their covered cocks rubbed against each other's and the warm tongue explored his mouth.

Though it only lasted a minute, as Randy pulled away, resting his forehead against the younger mans, groaning as his eyes took a quick glimpse over at the stack of papers still grazing his desk.

"I need to finish those papers first, Codes… I'll take care of that third man problem after that… and then…" He turned his head again to face Cody, predatory gleam in his eyes as he licked his lips, smirking at the cute pout on his protégés lips. "Then I'll come and find you to get my reward."

Cody grinned at him, pecking his lips one more time before he slowly got off the older mans lap, making sure to brush his hands over the jeans-covered groin, eliciting a low groan from his boss. He chuckled as Randy let out a silent curse, eyes blown with lust, frustration clearly visible.

"Codes…"

The younger male just shrugged, winking at him before strutting over to the door, but stopping mid-way, an idea forming in his head. He turned back around, seeing Randy's eyes glued to him, the dark-tanned male's tongue licking his lips.

"Randy?"

"Hmmm?"

Cody bit his lip, locking eyes with him again as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Well… the kitten. Could you talk to Chris about it, please? I really, really want to keep it. It's damn lonely in the lab at times and it prevents me from total boredom. And…" The gleam of shyness and embarrassment were all of a sudden shoved aside as Cody continued, smirk playing on his full lips. "…it's a perfect way to confuse Teddy."

Randy smirked, shaking his head in amusement as he laced his hands in front of his abs, swinging from left to right with his chair.

"You're really an evil little thing, Codes."

He watched as the young mans cheeks flushed slightly, bottom lip tucked in as he shrugged, and then continued with a sigh.

"I'll see what I can do. BUT… I can't promise anything, Codes. You know how much Chris hates animals, especially cute little ones that crawl all over him and try to snuggle up to him…"

Cody sighed in frustration, but nodded, head still lowered, eyes avoiding Randy's gaze now as they slowly teared up –this show was one of his best.

Randy sighed again, watching the boys expression change. For some weird reason, he just could not see him sad, especially not crying –with anyone else he knew, he even enjoyed torturing them until they cried, but with Cody? It was almost too much for him to bear.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk him into it… now lighten up again. You know, I can't stand seeing you like this. Tear stained eyes just don't suit you, honey."

Cody's face instantly lit up as he ran over towards Randy, leaning over the desk to plant his lips onto the older man's, whispering "Thank You" over and over again, before pulling away and grinning, eyes bright and happy.

Randy groaned, shaking his head at him, having long discovered Cody's way of manipulating him, but just enjoying the boys company too much to care. However, if he wanted to stay boss, he should clearly never show it to anyone, no one, since the smallest weakness was your downfall in this business.

* * *

Sucking in a deep breath, Ted braced himself for the inevitable. After hearing his boss' grumpy voice, murmuring the words of "Come in!", he closed his eyes for a moment before opening the glass-door to the blonde's office and stepping inside. Thankfully, the bulge in his pants had disappeared or else he would have been an easy prey for Chris' sadistic jokes and his even more sadistic reality.

The older man looked up from his desk, staple of papers lying in front of him, brow arching as he eyed Ted.

"What do you want?"

Ted closed his eyes once again, silent prayer going on in his head, before stretching to full height, not only making himself feel bigger, but also trying to give the impression that he was self-confident and not intimidated.

"I came to report to you."

Even his voice had a slight touch of confidence and strength to it now. He knew he would be dead if he did not suck it up for once, if he gave only the slightest glimpse of weakness away to Chris.

Walking up towards the desk, he made sure to lock eyes with Chris, the scowl on his boss's face not going unnoticed as the elder man grimaced and leaned back in his chair.

"What shit have you done this time, DiBiase?"

He ignored the coldness in Chris' voice and braced himself in the chair opposite to the blond, hands on his abs as his green depths stared at the older male.

"We've taken care of Farrelly and Cena yesterday. They'd robbed Carlos once again and we could not just let it slip this time. It were drugs in value of 10 Grand. So we've paid them a little visit yesterday."

Chris listened on with a mix of interest and disgust. He had hated on those two punks ever since he had first seen them in a bar together. Not only did they look like typical bachelors, but they also behaved like the last scump –loud, obnoxious, without respect to anyone. In addition, they had robbed them more than once already.

"Cena was alone at their house and we got him pretty good, but then Farrelly came back all of a sudden and he was grabbling Jake down. He has a few cuts and bruises and on top of it had a dislocated shoulder. We did not want to kill them since we need the money back first, but Jake managed to shoot Farrelly after I've taken care of him. We also got half of the drugs back, but we'll let them pay for everything."

A grunt made him stop, realizing that Chris had gotten out of his chair and was now pacing the room, shaking his head left to right as he cursed under his breath.

"Motherfuckers… damnit… those two punks really think they can run around stealing and killing without them getting it one day? Fucking jerks…"

Ted swallowed, the cursing not really something he approved off, but still a thousand times better than his boss going off on him, so he decided to stay quiet for his own goods.

The blond turned towards Ted, eyes cold with hatred and venom as he stalked towards him and got right into his face, hands grabbing the sides of the chair to block Ted's only chance to flee as he was growling.

"You could have killed one of them and let the other one live to get the money. Why haven't you done that?"

Swallowing again, Ted tried to keep his body from shaking, his hands from sweating as his voice cracked.

"It went all so fast… we did not have time to think about that option. We were lucky we got out alive."

He did not even see the slap coming, his head snapping to the side with the power and effect of it, jaw instantly aching, and hand going up to hold it.

"You idiots! Are you too dumb to even take care of two junkies? Two potwhales? Those two are as dumb as beans and my two most dangerous, most vicious employees fail at taking them out? At doing their job right for once?"

Chris' face was flushed with anger, eyes ice-cold and dark, body trembling in rage as he stormed around his desk again to almost rip a drawer out of it, shaky hands grabbing for the small bag of pills as he was trying to calm himself.

Ted stayed quiet, just watching him as he rubbed his jaw, unoccupied fist clenching and unclenching as his own anger grew. How dare his boss to slap him? No one… NO ONE was allowed to treat him like this, not even Chris.

The elder man popped in two of the pills, swallowing them down with the shot of Whiskey that stood on his desk, eyes fluttering shut as the burning liquid slid down his throat and Ted saw it as his chance to speak again.

"We… I…" Taking a deep breath, he found back his composure, finishing his thought. "We all think we need a third hitman to keep up with those two jerks and Hunter's goons. It's gotten dangerous on the streets and even though Jake and I are good, we can't be everywhere at once. We need someone to watch our backs, to maybe stay at the lab, to shield us and the others."

His eyes had stayed fixed on Chris –who had not moved one bit during his little speech- watching intensely as he slowly opened his eyes again, slight, almost mad smirk forming on his lips as he locked eyes with Ted.

"You think so, huh?"

Gulping down, Ted managed to nod slowly, now not able anymore to keep his hands from sweating.

"Yeah boss. I mean… it could have been much worse. Cena and Farrelly are unpredictable and so are Hunter's guys. It's impossible to keep an eye on all of them, especially now that Jake's hurt."

Chris seemed to contemplate the thought, he really seemed to, eyes softening for just a mere seconds, lips turning up into an evil grin, brows furrowing in concentration, but the chuckle that left his lips seconds later made Ted frown. It was a chuckle he knew all too well, the one Chris always let out when something evil, something totally and utterly crazy was going on in his mind.

Locking eyes with Ted again, Chris could firmly smell the fear radiating from the younger man now. It was all a game for him and right now, Ted was the perfect victim to play with.

"Teddy, boy… since you seem to have come out untouched by that little incident and since you were brave enough to come here and report to me, which I think was clearly one of Mike's doings, wasn't it?" He did not even wait for Ted's not before continuing as he walked back around the desk towards where Ted sat. "Well, Teddy… since all of that, I think you earn a little reward, what do you say?"

Ted's eyes widened in confusion, brows shooting up as his whole body tensed. Chris in an insane state was really something he did not even wish his biggest enemies.

Chris leaned down, coming face to face with Ted again, close enough that Ted could smell the faint scent of Whiskey and could feel the breath on his skin as his boss growled.

"Answer me, Teddy!"

He only managed a quick nod, legs involuntarily starting to tremble, sweat on his forehead building as he was trying to lean as far into the chair as possible, not liking the closeness between him and Chris one bit.

The blonde's lips curled up in a grin again, hand tapping Ted's cheek with a little more force than necessary, before he straightened up again and walking back to his own chair.

"If you want a third man, Teddy… You have to do me two favors."

Ted let out a silent sigh of relief as soon as Chris was out of his reach, one brow rising up as he listened to Chris, nodding his head even though the older man had his back turned to him.

"First off, Teddy… keep an eye on Cody and Mike for me. For some reason I don't trust them… and a little bird told me that Regal and Hunter want to prey them away from us…"

He turned back around to face Ted, while letting himself fall back into his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest, smirking slightly.

"I can trust you with that, Ted, can I?"

Ted nodded hastily. Even though he could not quite believe Chris' words and was well aware that the big boss was probably only using him to somehow satisfy his sick and twisted mind.

"Good boy… and second off… you'll meet up with Cena and Farrelly alone to get the money. I can't risk Jake getting hurt even further. He's too precious for us to lose and too easy of a victim now that he's injured. You'll have to meet up with them anyways to get the money, right?"

Again, Ted nodded, his mind already trying to produce a plan to do what Chris had just asked, as he knew, him alone with Cena and Farrelly in a dark corner of the district would probably get him killed.

Chris' grin turned into a smirk as he saw Ted pondering, as he saw the nervousness in him rising. Licking his lips, he leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, eyes now filled with pure amusement –something that did go completely unnoticed by Ted as his mind was somewhere else.

"And as a reward for all that, you will not only get that third man you asked me for, but… you'll also get the right to watch… whenever you want."

At that, Ted's eyes shot wide open, his cheeks flushing instantly in a bright red, body going rigid as he listened to Chris' deep rumbling voice fading into a chuckle.

"Teddy boy… you really think I haven't realized that you're watching? Come on… you really thought I'm that ignorant? That much into the act that I don't see you?"

The red on Ted's cheeks could have easily matched a tomato as his hands nervously fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, eyes flicking everywhere but onto Chris, hiding his face as he bowed his head.

It clearly was an easy game for Chris… one he enjoyed just a little too much. Not only could he keep sure that Mike and Cody were loyal but he could also finally get rid of Ted. If only the boy knew what was really going on in his sick mind. Sure, he was enjoying torturing him by his sadistic games, but… as Mike had told him so many times already, Ted was an unreliability, one he did not need in such hard times. Moreover, without even knowing it, Chris would also get past giving them a third man –though they would need a replacement for Ted. However, two men were still cheaper than three, right?

"Well Angel, I must say that I rather would've had Jake with me today, but you will do."

Before Ted knew what was happening, Chris had left the office. It took him a few seconds before he realized that Mike had forced him to spend an entire day with Chris. Hoe couldn't believe his own stupidity; he had really thought that Mike was happy with him, but it was clear that this was his punishment. He sent up another prayer to God and hurried after Chris before his boss got really mad.

* * *

**Like it? Hate it? Want something? Let us know! **


	4. Demons inside of me

**A/N:**

**Wow, that story's even keeping us in awe. Seriously, Legacychick and me have no idea where we're going with it and writing the story together gives you the thrill of not knowing what'll happen next even though you're the one co-writing. Okay, I'm rambling. ****Sorry. **

**So**** the last chapter was more about business than anything while this one will be more about the guys again, especially Randy. You might have already realized that by the name of the chapter though. It'll be a little dark, rough, violent with only a few hints of sarcasm and teasing. We hope it's not TOO much for you gals. **

**The muses have done a great job of helping and having Regal as a part of this story actually got me the idea of hiring a butler in that brain of hers to spoil her and her muses. I've not only stole Mike now, but also Jake. Yes, we're starting to become quite the happy family. Can you believe Jeri has stolen a jacuzzi for me? And through the constant hits he got on his head LegacyChick's Cena muse is now completely retarded. So if anyone has use for a bulky goon... who has the brains of a 3 year old (that's what the IQ test said), the Cena muse is up for adoption. But if he's not gone soon, we're gonna give him to Jeri for target practice.**

**What else to say? Oh yeah... we love all of you guys for your lovely and awesome (insert Mike muse grinning here) reviews. Though we'd appreciate a little more creative phrases than just "Love it". You gotta see that we're working hours and hours on this fic to try and make it as special and brilliant as possible and reading something like "Love it" I dunno... we appreciate it, really... but we'd rather get a more detailed or though through review. Thanks.**

**WARNING: Contains Slash, Sex, Violence, Hints of Sexual Abuse/Rape, Filthy Language. Don't say you haven't been warned!**

**DISCLAIMER: No-one owns no-one, though we spend most of our time wishing we did. To compensate this we own a healthy dose of insanity, a huge amount of free time and a happy family of muses, including a pregnant Randy, a maybe pregnant Jericho (am so gonna kill him is he is), a butler (Regal) and as said a completely insane Cena (may he rest in peace).**

**Chapter 4: Demons inside of me**

The whole car-ride did nothing else then to annoy Ted... well, okay, maybe it also scared him a bit, since Chris was not only happily whistling the complete time, but he was also driving like a damn murder on escape. He did not care about any stop-signs, passed other cars in at a risky speed on streets it was not even allowed to and that all while smoking one of his disgusting cigars. That all came together with the already sick feeling in Ted's stomach that whatever Chris needed him for would be nothing good at all. He knew it. Nothing good ever came out of the things Chris was doing.

He had closed his eyes during the drive, not even daring to open them again since seeing the buildings and people pass in high-speed would only increase his fear of dying in that car. It was not before Chris shut of the engine, that his lids finally fluttered open again, almost expecting the cops having pulled them over and the more he was surprised to take in his surroundings: the old warehouses that looked as if they were falling apart, the black SUV parked in front of them, the dirty streets and the dark around them. They were in a part of town that was too damn familiar to him, a part he knew from his past, a past he did not really want to look back on.

In this place of town the madness that was his life now had started. Before he had been a good man; a dutiful man. Everything in his life had gone as God commanded it to be. Until his brother had started to resist his father, had started to resist the rules he should live by and started to hang out with the wrong crowd. Ted had noticed it far before his father - who was never home anyway - noticed anything. At first he helped his brother hide it, trying to convince him to stop taking the drugs, to go to church again, to confess his sins. But Brett had only laughed at him and when Ted finally went to his father, he hadn't believed Ted. Brett had always been the perfect son; Brett had been his favorite; the one who would follow in his father's footsteps as a third generational wrestler. Brett was a lucky kid, he always got things the way he wanted it.

Until Brett disappeared and didn't come back. Ted was the one who went looking for him, Ted was the one who found him on the streets, lying in the gutter. And still Brett didn't listen; still he didn't want to invite God back into his heart. Day after scary day Ted went back to help his brother, to bring him food, to bring him clothing, to try convincing him to come back. Until that one day...

Brett had once again gone to get some drugs. Ted had never went with him before, had never wanted to witness the real misery, but that day he had followed. He had wanted to talk Brett out of it, to see the dealer who had fucked up his brothers life so badly, to convince the dealer to stop selling to his brother and that was when something went horribly wrong. Neither of them had time to react. All Ted knew was that one time, that black guy who he still supposed had been the dealer- was screaming for help, two big guys hovering over him with a gun pointed at him. It was the moment those two -which he later was able to identify as Kozlov and Hawkins- looked up from him to see Ted and his little brother turning around the corner and from then on everything went black. The next moment he knew, Brett was down, blood floating the street around him, his shirt ripped open where the bullet had hit him. He had not even dared to look up again as his eyes stayed fixed on his young brother, his friend, his life, kneeling down next to him, checking on him, testing his pulse, his breathing, but it had already been too late. The bullet had obviously hit him right in his heart.

From that moment on his life went downhill. His father blamed Ted for everything that happened. He even threw Ted out, disowned him and never talked to him again. The house he and his wife lived in had belonged to his father, so he was homeless all of the sudden. They were forced to move to the bad side of town; Ted had to drop out of college since he had no way to afford it and had to work crappy job after crappy job. His own grief was overwhelming, he was ridden with guilt. He may not have pulled the trigger, but in his eyes he killed his little brother. He started taking drugs to sleep and later he needed other drugs to stay awake and again other drugs to stop thinking. The drugs made him even feel more guilty, but the only way to stop the guilt was more drugs. He lost all purpose in life, until that one day, that his dealer was accompanied by someone very familiar. Randy took him home, for the first time he told the whole story and Randy offered him a place with them, baiting him with an easy way to provide for his family and a way to get revenge. He should've walked away, but he had been weak and now he was at the one place he wanted to avoid more than anything, with the one person he wanted to avoid like no-one else.

Chris' harsh words snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You don't say a word, Angel-boy. And could you try to look a little bit more lethal. You look like a fucking choirboy. I can't even remember why the hell I hired you. It's not like Randy likes you very much. He's way too smitten with that little kitten of him. I don't blame him. Cody is one fine piece of ass. I wouldn't mind having him on all fours before me."

Ted swallowed. The image of Cody naked on his hands and knees made his cock grow and the thought of Chris pounding away in him should have made him furious but for some reason it was a very alluring image that Ted could imagine a little bit too easily. Ted closed his eyes and whispered more prayers to try to get that image out of his head.

Before he could calm himself enough though, Chris nudged his side hard, nodding for him to get out of the car first. Ted took a deep breath, straightening himself up before he opened the door and stepped outside, finally spotting the older man that was leaning against the SUV. He cringed at the image of him: black leather vest, dark sun-shades, dark tan, tattoos all over his arms, bulky, muscles like bullets and that icy smirk on his lips made Ted frown. Chris followed suit, stepping out of the car after Ted, nodding towards him again to make the first step, to shield him against the unfamiliar man who was leaning against his truck, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

"Dave!"

Chris reached his hand out to greet the bald-shaven man, smile on the blond's lips as Dave's eyes stayed fixed on Ted, tongue darting out to lick his lips.

"Irvine."

"You have what I asked you for?"

Dave's gaze drifted back to Chris as he took of his sun-shades, cold brown eyes staring at the smaller man as he nodded, snorting.

"Did I ever let you down?"

He opened the crate and let Chris inspect the merchandise. Ted got a quick glance of it, before the huge man blocked his view. The crates were filled with weapons. Ted wasn't sure, but it seemed the military kind of weaponry; the kind that shouldn't be available on the streets. He had heard Mike and Jake discussing this. Mike had convinced Randy to use his old contacts from the marine to see if some smuggling was possible, and it seemed it was. Jake would go nuts when he saw these; the guy had a sick fascination with guns. Well… Jake had a sick obsession with anything that could kill.

"Well, well, what have we here? I had expected to see Hager again."

Dave walked around Ted, sizing him up, the demeaning smirk showing him he wasn't all that impressed.

"Have you lost Hager, Chris? You know, I would've been glad to take him off your hands. I could use a man like him in the business. The guy knows his guns. Is this one any good?"

Chris smirked at the tall, bulky man, letting his fingers brush over the cold metal of the guns.

"He's good... not as good as Jake... but he's doing what he's told to... he's a nice little puppy."

Dave nodded, eyeing Ted with more than just approval in his eyes, something that made Ted uncomfortable as hell. It was lust. Licking his lips once again, Dave came to a stop in front of him, arms crossed over the broad chest as he leaned forward, his breath ghosting over Ted's neck as he whispered in his ear.

"You ever get sick of that jackass there... I've a good job for you... not only would I pay you better, I also know a way or two to pleasure you, my dear."

Ted felt like throwing up, but hid it perfectly as he just snarled at the older man and pushed him away, glaring at him.

"Sorry, not interested."

It had taken all his confidence and power to do that instead of taking the abuse once again. He let it happen with Chris, Mike and Randy, he did not see a reason to add another guy to that list of men toying with him.

"So the puppy has a little fight in him."

Dave threw his head back in his bulky neck and laughed hard, too hard for the situation.

"I like that... I never liked those submissive little creatures, I like it when they put up a fight."

Once again Dave took a step closer, trying to stare Ted down. It took him everything he had not to look away from the overpowering stare the older gave him. After a minute or so, Dave patted him on the head and turned his attention back to Chris.

"Do you want to lend him to me for a night, Chris? I would pay you very handsomely."

Despite Ted's silent protest and the shudder running through him - a shudder of disgust, Chris seemed to actually consider the offer, smirking as he first eyed Ted, then Dave.

"I wouldn't mind it... but..."

A sigh of relief escaped Ted's lips before he could stop it.

"I doubt Randy will be too pleased. For a weird reason he's very high up on the little puppy and his buddy Runnels."

Dave groaned, turning his head to look Ted over once again before shrugging.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, Chris, you have my number."

Chris nodded before ordering Ted to pack the weapons into their own truck, the icy stare on his body making Ted nervous again as he walked from one truck to the other for what felt like a million times to load their supply up. Chris and Dave were chatting away, leaning against the black SUV while he was doing the work, his thoughts going from his earlier conversation with Chris to Dave's offer and back, thanking the lord for actually being friends with Randy. If not he was sure, he would either be dead for a long while now or he would be someone's bitch, letting his ass get fucked in order to be able and pay his drugs.

* * *

Mike was whistling while he got ready to go out. He was still hesitating on whether to take Jake with him. Normally he never went anywhere without him and it might be dangerous to be alone. On the other hand he didn't want to show Jake's injuries to the world, not before they had the third man. That third man was one of the reasons he went out. He knew some guys with possibility, but he needed someone great and even more important, someone who was loyal to him - like Jake was - and not to Chris or Randy. Mike was planning to form his own little army, that would help him when he took control.

In the end he decided not to take Jake; he needed to rest and Mike would rather die himself than subject Jake to anymore danger. So he sneaked of the chairs, making sure Jake didn't hear him. Because one thing was clear, Jake would never let him go out alone. He waved a quick goodbye to Cody, who was concentrated on one of his new formulas, and quickly went on his way.

An hour later he was leaning over the bar, having already scanned the pub for familiar, maybe even dangerous faces, but have not found anyone. The bartender -a friend of his- was making him another drink in the meanwhile giving him the informations he needed. The guy was the best informed man in town, always doing Mike a favor here and there, for only a handful of pills every week. It suited him since he could catch two flies at once -getting all the latest news and relaxing a bit with his old friend Jack... Daniels. Two names were scrambled down on a sheet of paper, the names of two brilliant assassins, two who could also be trusted. Sliding it into his pocket, he grinned at Louis before grabbing the drink the young man had placed in front of him.

He did not realize the pair of eyes that were locked on him, the tall, old, English man walking up to him. The more startled he was when he felt the vice-like grip on his shoulder and heard the hoarse voice ringing in his ear.

"Mizanin... nice to meet you here."

He cringed as he turned around, staring straight into the eyes of their enemy, one of the two men who were trying to run them out of business, the -in his eyes- most brilliant and lethal assassin he had ever heard of.

"Regal."

He signaled the bartender to pour the Englishman a drink. It never hurt to be polite to this man, the old saying 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer' came to mind. William accepted the drink and sat down next to Mike.

"So Mike, I've heard some impressive things about you."

"You should try to find new informants. I'm nothing but a little pawn in our business. I do only as I'm told."

Mike had good reason to hide how much he really did. If Regal heard things like this, so would his bosses. It would make them suspicious and harder to manipulate.

"Oh no, Mizanin. Don't act all modest on me. I've been following you from a very young age. You've come far... I must say I was really disappointed when you chose Irvine over us."

Mike cocked his head and tried to understand what was going on. Getting praise from Regal was getting praise from the best in the business.

"I know you're bosses don't appreciate you the way they should. I just wanted to let you know you had options."

Mike grinned.

"And those options are?"

Regal leant very close to Mike and whispered in his ear.

"You could join us. We could use you. We also have a place for your assassin. I can learn him so much. I'll double what Chris is paying you. I'll double that if you can get your chemist with you too. Join us Mizanin and you will have more power, more money than you ever dreamt of."

Mike stared ahead, swirling his drink, seriously considering this option.

"What happened? Did Hunter die?"

Regal chuckled.

"I like the way you're thinking. But no, unfortunately that bastard is still walking around."

"Then my answer is no. I'll rather spend eternity sucking Chris' dick than having to spend five minutes in the same room as Hunter."

Regal cocked a brow, an amused grin playing on his lips as he raised his drink and downed it in one go. "Just think about it Mike. I wouldn't even mind replacing Hunter with you when the time is right."

Mike's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth gaping open as he leaned closer to Regal, almost falling out of his chair in the process.

"I think I just misunderstood you... can you repeat that again?"

Neither of them saw the Viper-like stare following their conversation, blue eyes fixed on them from the corner of the room, jaw clenching.

"I said, Mikey... that when the time is right, I would not mind replacing Hunter with you. Let's face is, that guy is as dumb as hay. He's only causing us trouble. Even Vince is already regretting having given him that position."

He got up from his seat, patting Mike's cheek, smirking proudly, smugly even.

"Think about it, Mikey boy. And if you trust them, tell little Runnels and Hager they're free to join you. It will be worth it."

And with that the older man left him alone, vanishing in the crowd -the pub filled with workers, stoners, business man, druggies, everyone who knew a good beer- as he blinked a few times to register what had just been offered to him.

Mike sat as still as a rock for the next ten minutes. For once he was completely unaware of his surroundings. He felt like he'd been offered the pot of gold on the end of the rainbow. He couldn't believe that he could get rid of Chris and Randy this easy. Of course they would be out for his skin, but he would take Jake with him. Without Cody to motivate him, Teddy was useless and if he made sure their new goon was loyal to him, he might be able to take him with him. He would also take Nick. The guy was annoying and not very smart, but no-one was better in talking school kids into taking his drugs. The possibilities were endless… he could finally let Jake kill Randy.

Lost in thoughts he didn't see Randy sneak out the bar. Randy was livid.

"_We told you so…. He's cheating on you…. He's conspiring against you…. He can't be trusted…. You need to make him fear you…" _

The voices echoed in his head, getting louder and louder until he couldn't hear his own thoughts anymore.

* * *

It was driving him insane. The whole lab was as quiet as can be, even little Teddy wasn't making any noise at all, curled up on a small blanket in the corner of the room. Seriously, if anyone was about to barge in and kill him right now, he doubted that someone would even hear it. Cody was scared shitless, the mere thought of Cena and Farrelly out for revenge and him being here all alone was making him paranoid. Every time he heard the smallest noise from outside, he shivered, his head snapping up from the formula he was working on. How was he supposed to concentrate like this? A rather loud thumb made him pale with fear, almost falling out of his chair, eyes wide with horror only to see Jake standing on top of the stairs, cursing under his breath.

"Fucking vase..."

He looked down at Cody, seeing the boy scared shitless, pale, eyes wide open, pen in his hand -holding onto it as if he wanted to stab someone. Chuckling, he slowly made his way down the stairs, eyeing Cody with amusement.

"Boy, what crawled up your ass?"

Cody slowly relaxed again, hands still trembling as he let go of an involuntary sigh, placing the pen back on the desk and shaking his head, mumbling under his breath.

"Nothing... nothing... just... I heard a loud thump and thought that maybe..."

"That was me. Damn vase decided to be in my way when I tried to snatch my phone from the nightstand. What? You thought someone is here to kill you?"

Cody looked at the large blonde, who was smirking down on him, and he decided not to answer that question. Instead he shrugged and turned his attention back to his formulas.

"I can't believe you just grabbed a pen to defend yourself. I must say, a pen can kill, but only if you stick it somewhere it hurts, like in a eye. I can't believe Randy has never learned you to defend yourself. I mean, you're no small man, you have the body, but you have no idea how to use a knife or a gun."

Cody was quiet again. He never really felt comfortable being alone with Jake. He knew that Jake didn't like him; he knew that Jake saw him as a little boy; useful but that was it.

"Randy thought it wasn't necessary. He thought I was safe enough here."

Jake chuckled, it sounded menacing, degrading. Cody clenched his fists.

"So Randy kept you the little defenseless boy. He's keeping you weak. You have no idea what you are playing with Cody. Randy is addicted to power."

Jake clenched his fists as he thought about what Randy did with his lover; he knew he beat him, humiliated him, raped him. And Mike all let it happen; he shut himself away and used the violence of the viper to give him what he wanted from him. But as far as Jake was concerned, that would not go on for much longer...

Cody sighed, eyeing the tall blond out of the corner of his eyes as he stared down at the papers in front of him again, head in one of his hands, elbow resting on the desk, chewing on his pen. Jake snorted, shaking his head and patted him on the shoulder.

"Well, boy... maybe when I come back I'll let myself down enough to teach you some things."

Cody's head shot back up, eyes widening at the sheer thought of being alone again, the words escaping his lips before he even knew.

"Where are ya going?"

Jake furrowed his brows, blinking a few times at him before shrugging.

"I need some booze. You also want some or what?"

Cody shook his head vigorously, chewing on his fingernail as he tried to figure out the right words to say. Seeing Jake turn on his heals and heading towards the large iron-door, he called out to him.

"Can you... could you stay here until Ted comes back? Please?"

Jake sighed, the last thing he wanted was hanging around the lab to protect some scared little boy. The thing he wanted was to go to his room, drink himself into oblivion, listen to that depressive hard-rock that Mike loved so much and that fit his current mood perfectly and forget about his pain, both physical and emotional.

"Fuck Cody. Can't you be alone for ten minutes?"

Cody willed his face into the puppy-dog look that gave him what he wanted from the most people. But Jake only laughed.

"That look dun work on me boy. I don't like animals, not even little cute ones like you and that stupid cat. Why do you have that anyway?"

Jake stared at the little fur ball with eyes full of contempt.

"I mean, its filthy, it's annoying and I saw a mouse walk right next to it last night and it didn't even look. It's useless."

He chuckled.

"So you gave him the perfect name I guess."

Cody huffed. He seriously did not get what Mike saw in that guy. Sure, he had a great body and was maybe even a good fuck, but he was a heartless bastard after all. Okay, now he got it. He was exactly like Mike, that's why.

"Well... it's keeping me company... and unlike you it got some heart, that's why it doesn't kill everything in sight."

Jake cocked a brow at him, his lips turning from a snarl into a small smirk as he shook his head.

"Look... your mouth is good for more than just sucking Randy's dick."

"Screw you."

Jake chuckled heartedly, coldly as he stepped closer towards Cody, trying to intimate the younger man.

"That's already Mike's job, thank you."

Cody groaned and just turned around in his chair again, putting his head in his hands, his nerves already wanting to explode again. He should have known that even his own pills could not let Jake vanish mysteriously.

"See... you have Mike, Ted has his Lord, Chris has everyone he wants and Randy has all the woes in town... Whilst I have no one... that's why I kept the kitten... at least it keeps me from dying alone."

Neither of them had realized the large, tanned man standing in the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad shoulder, usually icy-blue eyes softening and filling with something that looked like remorse, like hurt, like love as he listened to Cody's words.

Jake huffed, not at all feeling sorry for the boy, but feeling utterly sorry for himself as he murmured under his breath.

"I don't have Mike, in fact I doubt I'll ever have him... fully."

Cody cocked his head, not all sure if he heard those words correctly; was there trouble in paradise? He locked that knowledge away in the back of his head. Mike was not the only one who could use information like this to manipulate people.

"But do you want me to stay or not?"

Jake chuckled again.

"You see… first you beg me to stay, then you try to insult me - not that it's working - and now you're trying to have girl talk."

Cody glared at him, thinking about throwing something at his head. Too bad the guy didn't do drugs, or he would give him some fucked-up stuff the next time. For a second he thought about telling Jake to piss off, but then he thought about being alone and he decided against it.

"Could you stay, until Ted comes back? And maybe teach me a thing or two?"

Randy bit his lip hard as he shook his head, disappearing back into the shadows again -or rather leaving the house again without making a noise. Raking a hand through his short-shaven hair, he looked up at the dark sky, grey clouds shielding the earth from sun, cursing himself for this weak moment of his.

_"You're getting soft Randal. Get back inside... let him give you your reward. Take him like the bitch he is." _

He groaned, shaking his head, thumbs digging into his temples to massage the voices away as he mumbled to himself.

"Shut up... he's not like that... he's a good boy... he's... he's... god damnit."

He raised his head again, taking a few long and deep breaths, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as he closed his eyes. The voices were right, he was getting soft... but after all, it was Cody. His boy.

* * *

Soft whistling brought Randy out of his trance again and looking around the dark alley, he spotted Mike coming towards him in an unusual happy mood. Their eyes locked for a brief moment and he could even see Mike's adam-apple moving as the boy swallowed hard. He must have seen the look in his eyes, must already guess what was about to come though he had no idea why.

_"Tell him... tell him you know and then punish him... the little bastard has to pay for talking to the enemy... make him pay"_

Before Mike could even see it coming, Randy had stalked up to him, grabbing him by his throat, the bright smile on the smaller mans lips fading as soon as he felt the colossal hand wrapped around him, his eyes bulging out when his back hit the stonewall behind him.

"You fucking little bastard."

He could not even ask what the hell had gotten into Randy, had no idea why the hell he was reacting this way. He had not even said anything yet, so what had sat Randy off like that? Pressing Mike into the wall, hand cutting off his air-supply, Randy got right into his face, snarling.

"You little fucker think you can betray us, huh? You think we're too dumb to know? I've seen you, Mikey boy... seen you talking to Regal. Bet you've given him all the information he needs, huh? Bet he did not even want anything in return, huh? Is it that, Mikey? You're not happy sucking me and Chris off anymore? Don't like us to fuck your brains out anymore? So you go to THEM?"

Pushing him through the back door, Randy did not even give him any time to reply. Mike stumbled backwards, landing on his ass, his usual bright eyes filled with authority, now filled with fear and angst, lips trembling as he tried to crawl away from Randy until his back hit the wall again. Everything Randy said was a blur to him and he did not even have any time to register what was going on.

This was not what was supposed to happen. Randy did things like this all the time, but usually Mike used that against him, used it to get what he wanted. He was thinking hard, trying to find a way to escape this, to turn it around again. Randy stalked up to him like a predator stalking to his prey.

"Please Randy, don't do this. I haven't told him anything... it's the other way around. I have useful information for us."

The rage-filled eyes of the viper stared down on him, his face consorted in anger. Mike had the feeling none of his words reached Randy.

"Randy, please... I would never betray you... You are everything I have... I am nothing without you and Chris."

Randy gripped his head, the storm of the voices in his head deafening him.

_"Traitor... punish him... kill him... punish him... make him yours again!"_

Mike paled when he saw the look in Randy's eyes, the sheer madness in it, cold, lethal, crazy. "You're damn right you are ours!"

He pulled Mike up by his hair. "Randy... please... no... they... Regal told me they are having trouble with Hunter..."

However, Randy did not hear any of it; he did not want to hear any of it. He had seen enough, he had heard enough today and the straining bulge in his pants still had not gotten any attention thanks to his way too soft heart. He had to let his aggressions out on someone, had to punish the boy for going behind their backs, had to somehow find relief and Mike was the perfect victim right now.

"Please Randy... I didn't do anything... I was there to get us information... stuff that helps us... I... please..."

Seeing that crazy look in Randy's eyes, Mike knew exactly what was about to come, fighting back with all the strength he had in him, with all the power left. He could only hope that one of the boys would hear his pleads, would hear their fight, and would barge in any minute to save him. Pressing Mike against the wall, forearm against the brunette's throat, Randy's free hand made quick work of the smaller male's zipper, roughly pulling the material down with the boxer shorts underneath, gaining a loud yelp from the frightened man.

"You really think I buy your bullshit? You think, Mikey boy, that I dunno how much you despise me... despise us? Huh... you're such a fucking bad liar, Mikey... without us you'd be nothing and you damn well know it!"

"Randy... please stop... I... do you really think I would still be here if I despised you? I've been with you for ten years now, I would have gone any time if I wanted to. But I didn't... I want to be here with you and Chris..."

"And with you're little pet Jakey, don't you Mikey? Maybe I should pay him a visit later... to show him who's boss, too."

_"Yes... yes... the bodyguard too... yes... show them who's in charge."_

This enraged Mike more than anything Randy could do to him. Normally Jake could handle Randy easily, but with one arm, still hurt?

"You keep your fucking hands of Jake. I'll kill you if you come near him."

Mike managed to get one hand free and punched Randy in the stomach. Randy doubled over from the pain, but only for a second. Before the brunette could do anything else, he was backhanded through the room, blood dripping from his mouth.

Randy snarled, quickly unzipping his own jeans and pulling them down, throbbing length already hard jutting out against his abs as he roughly grabbed Mike's side, pushing him back against the wall again, before turning him around. Giving another loud yelp, Mike still struggled against the tight grip on his hips, trying to get free.

"You fucking slut... hold still! Take it like a man! You think you're so damn smart, don't ya? Well, I'll show you who the real boss is, Mikey boy... Brace yourself!"

One hand tightly holding onto Mike's hips, the other one clamped over the boy's mouth, chest pressing against Mike's back, Randy breached his entrance in one go, the stifled scream, the tears running down his protégés cheeks, the blood leaking out of him doing nothing but to urge him on.

Cody struggled to get free from Jake who had him pinned against the wall, his arm twisted up his back. Even with one arm, Jake was far better than him. It was not only his strength, it was also his skill. Cody had no doubt that Jake could snap his neck in an instance should he wish that.

"Think Cody, think..." Jake hissed in his ear. "If you struggle he'll pull your arm out of the socket and believe me, you won't be able to stand the pain. What do you need to do?"

Cody thought for a minute, while Jake twisted his arm more and more, until Cody was afraid Jake would rip his arm off just to make a point. He lifted his leg and stomped Jake hard on his foot, the vicelike grip loosened on his arm just a little bit, but enough to yank it free. He turned around, facing Jake, protecting his face with his fists.

"No, boy, no boxing. That is useless unless you know how to do that and you don't. The only thing you need to do is to take him out for a few seconds so you can run or get to a weapon. You are fast enough to escape most pursuers. But you do have a gun here, don't you? And please tell me you know how to use one."

Cody chewed on his lips, blushing slightly as he lowered and shook his head. The tall blond let out a loud groan, running his palm over his face before glancing down at the younger and smaller guy.

"You're fucked without a weapon, Runnels. You should ask Chris or Randy for one. I'm sure they can't deny you anything."

Cody nodded, looking back up at him, lashes fluttering as he cracked a soft smile. "Thanks." The blond only shrugged, waving it off.

"No big deal. Can't let the guy who's making our drugs let die just like that, right? Now come on... next thing to learn."

Another nod later and Cody did not even realize what was coming as Jake rammed him against the wall, forearm against Cody's throat while his free hand held the brunette's wrists above his head with a vice-like grip.

"Now... how do you get out of this, little one?" Grinning, he swayed his hips forward, groins rubbing together as he attempted to keep Cody in position, not giving him any option to struggle free. Gladly enough the pain-killers where kicking in and his shoulder did not hurt half as much anymore as it did an hour ago.

Jake brought his head towards the boy's ear. "Remember Codes, if anyone has a weakness you need to use it against him."

His breath ghosted over Cody's ear and this combined with the Jake rubbing against his groin turned him on a little. This annoyed Cody senseless. He did not want to think about Jake that way. Furious he tried to rip his arms loose, but failed. Jake lifted him by his wrists until only his toes were touching the floor.

Ted who was still shaking from the last minutes with Chris in the car - the trip back had been worse than the trip there- struggled with the heavy crates that needed to be stored into the weapon room, until they had buyers. Pushing the door open with his shoulder, his eyes instantly fell onto the two figures pressed against the wall, Cody's legs wrapped around Jake's midsection; Jake's groin tightly pressed against Cody's, Jake's lips only mere inches away from the brunette's.

He had to swallow hard at the image, pants once again tightening almost painfully as his cock twitched. He would have never though that Cody and Jake... No... that couldn't be, right? Cody hated Jake with a passion... and Jake... he would never ever fuck someone else than Mike. But... then again.

Licking his lips, he suppressed the urge to let out a low moan as his eyes stayed fixed on the two handsome men, watching as Cody's hips gyrated towards Jake with so much force that Jake had to take a step back. The distraction was enough for Cody to lift his leg and execute a hard kick to Jake's knee, sending the taller man onto the floor, hands leaving Cody's body.

It was not until then that Ted finally realized it had not been anything sexual the two were engaged into, but it had actually been a fight. Making his presence known, he shouted, putting the heavy box in his arms down to run over.

"What the fuck's going on here?"

Jake looked up grinning, ignoring Ted.

"That was pretty impressive, kitten. Just remember; if you try to hit or kick someone, try to kick THROUGH the object you're aiming at. If you'd hit my knee like that, you could've broken it. And someone with a broken knee won't get up and chase you."

He got up easily, pushing himself up with one hand, moving with the grace of a tiger.

"I must say, it's more fun to fight with you this way than the way we normally fight. Make sure you get a gun and I'll teach you how to aim it."

Cody grinned back, before turning all his attention to the other blond in the room.

"Well, well, Teddy... Did you come to the rescue? That's so... sweet of you." He walked up to Ted and let his hands rest on his biceps. "But you are a sweet boy aren't you? And it seems like you're very glad to see me."

He looked down at the bulge in Ted's trousers, placing his hands on Ted's hips and pressed his groin against him, rubbing against the big erection.

"Well I'm glad to see you, too. Maybe you'll let me show you how glad… I… really… am." He punctuated each of his words with a short snap of his hips against Ted's straining bulge.

Ted gaped down in the seductive blue eyes, at the beautiful face, those plumb lips turned up to him, ready for him to kiss. He wanted that, he wanted that so bad it hurt. Gulping hard, Ted managed to turn his gaze away from Cody and towards Jake, still surprised about the actions that had occurred only seconds ago, arching a brow at him.

"What was going on here?"

Jake just shrugged, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he jumped onto the desk, letting his legs dangle down from it.

"Just teaching our golden boy how to protect himself... though... I always thought that's your job, Teddy boy."

Meanwhile Cody was pressing his body even closer to Ted's, his skillful, lean, long fingers carefully tracing the toned abs through the sweat-soaked material of the blonde's shirt, feeling the shudder going through the older mans body.

"Yeah, Teddy... shouldn't you protect me? You know... with those strong arms of you, that broad chest, those HARD abs and those powerful thighs…" His fingers followed the line of body-parts he had just mentioned while his blue eyes stayed fixed on the handsome face of the blond, his bottom lip tucked in. "... hmm... how I'd like you to teach me... to wrap those bulky thighs around me, choking me... You think I could keep up with you, Teddy? Think I could get you on your back?"

Ted wanted to push Cody off him, looked inside him for strength, for God, but nothing came. He put his hands on Cody's chest, ready to push him of, but instead he marveled at the hard muscles beneath the thin shirt. He could so easily imagine Cody naked, so easily imagine the little moans that would come out of Cody's mouths when he stroked them.

Cody pushed even closer against him, pushing his nose in Ted's neck. Ted's nose was in Cody's hair now, taking in his scent, feeling the fluffy hair tickle against his cheek. He wanted Cody. He wanted him now, legs wrapped around his waist like he had just seen Cody do with Jake. There was nothing wrong with it, was it? Just one time? He could always confess.

That thought scared him senseless; it would break a dozen laws, both written and unwritten, including several of the commandments. Again, he started to push Cody away, but this time he felt Cody's soft lips nibble his neck. He was not able to suppress a loud moan. Cody chuckled, that chuckle being echo-ed by another man.

"Well, well Teddy... are you too busy playing around again to follow simple orders?"

Ted finally managed to push away the young brunette, almost making him fall flat onto the floor, though the grin on his lips never faded as he watched Ted's eyes widening. Jake instantly jumped off the desk again, straightening up, the smirk playing on his lips from watching the show instantly wiped away as he locked eyes with his boss, nodding his head.

"Chris."

Jericho acknowledged him with a nod of his own before turning his attention towards Ted again, eyeing him up and down, gaze lingering a little longer on the visible hard-on. Sighing, he shook his head as he looked back up again, amusement in his eyes mixing with a snarl on his lips.

"Well, Teddy. If I had known before that you'd rather play than to work, I would have taken up Dave's offer earlier. You want me to call him right now?"

Cody's grin never faded as he licked his lips, gaze drifting from Ted's flushed face and scared eyes to Chris' cocky smirk. He loved watching Ted being verbally manhandled; it gave him a weird and sick rush.

"I... sorry sir... I didn't mean to. I was just... we were..."

Ted's ranting was ignored, Chris letting go of a sadistic chuckle, his eyes searching for the youngest in the room, tilting his head a bit.

"Cody, boy... how often did I tell you not to play with him? You know what effect you have on precious little Teddy. One day he'll get his head kicked off by me cause you distracted him from following my orders."

Cody pouted, the seductive little pout that worked so well on his boss -well both of his bosses actually- "I'm sorry boss, but it's just... you know... so much fun."

Chris chuckled. "I bet it is. Well anything for our wonderboy."

His icy stare met Ted again, who was red as tomato, staring at the wall and trying to will his erection to fade away.

"What are you still doing there?" He barked. "Get those fucking crates inside before a cop drives by and wants to see what's inside. I took a lot of trouble to get these babies here and they will make us tons of money."

Jake straightened. He had been eying the crates curiously, hoping that it was what he thought is was.

"Are those the weapons Chris? Did Randy's contact pull it off?"

Chris looked amused at the excitement of the young man. You barely saw him like this; only with weapons... and whenever Mike was around of course. Chris nodded and pointed at the crate.

"You check them. See if they're as good as the seller said they are."

Carefully Jake opened the crate and almost tenderly he picked one of the guns out of it.

"It's so beautiful... this is army stuff definitely. These things officially don't even exist."

He stared at the priceless content of the box, almost divine reference in his eyes.

"You pick one." Chris said without even thinking about it. "Check everything out and keep one for yourself. We'll make enough profit on these things to be able to afford that."

Chris smirked at the look of excitement and gratitude on Jake's face. If he kept throwing Jake little treats like this he might be able to buy his loyalty away from Mike. Who knew, he might even get Jake into his bed. It still bit him that the boy had refused him on several occasions.

Cody's eyes kept focused on Ted as he watched the man carrying in crate after crate, sweat-soaked already, panting, clothes clinging tightly onto his body. Jake's excitement, Chris' planning and Cody's lustful thoughts got distracted as a loud huff ringed through the room, all set of eyes shooting towards the back-door as Randy stumbled inside, just about to pull his zipper up, sweat running down his forehead, muscles bulging, satisfied grin on his lips.

None of them knew what to say at that moment, staring at him in disbelief and surprise until he finished fixing his clothes, running a hand over his shaven scalp.

"What?"

Though he was pleased, did not mean he could not play the asshole, the bark he sent to all of them clearly underlining that. Chris just shrugged, turning his attention to Ted for a moment, seeing that the boy obviously had learned his lesson, carefully bringing one crate after another inside. Turning to Randy again, he gave him a short nod, Cody and Jake completely forgotten for now.

"Good that you're here. I wanted to talk to you anyways. Mind joining me outside for a smoke?"

Randy nodded and followed Chris outside, leaving the three men inside to wonder who exactly Randy had been fucking. Jake tensed up, his happiness completely forgotten as he hurried to the back door with Cody on his heels. But the dimly lit hallway was empty and there was no evidence visible that anyone had been here shortly ago. Upstairs a door slammed shut and Jake cringed. He was torn between racing outside to punch Randy into a bloody mess and racing upstairs to take Mike in his arms. Both options were impossible; Mike would never let him close now and killing Randy while he was still injured and with Chris standing next to him was suicide. So in the end he shrugged and turned his attention back to the crates, focussing on the weapons to find that one gun with which he would one day take Randy's life.

In the meanwhile, Chris leant to the wall of the shed, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"So had fun with little Mikey? Was he a good boy?"

Randy chuckled.

"Quite the opposite. He's been a very bad boy and I punished him for that. No way he'll have the nerve to change sides now."

Chris arched a brow, tongue darting out as he studied Randy's crazy features, thinking to himself how much he had changed over time. He really had become one sick and mad bastard as of late. He shrugged it off though, knowing better than to address the change and having more important things to talk about.

"You know... DiBiase asked me about a third man to hire."

Randy turned his face to him, lips curling up into a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is that so? Well... Cody did the same with me. You think we should give in?"

Chris shrugged, taking another drag of his cigarette, turning his attention to the clouds as he exhaled.

"Well... an third guy wouldn't hurt, right? Business is running good. We're growing every week. Money's coming in constantly. And with Hager injured... why not try it out?"

Meanwhile Cody was intensely watching Jake, his thoughts somewhere drifting off to Randy, mind trying to grasp what feeling that was that had tried to take him over minutes ago when Randy walked into the lab, so satisfied, so pleased, clearly just having had one of his best fucks ever. It could not quite possibly be jealousy rising in him, right? He had no reason to be jealous to whomever it was Randy had fucked. He did not even like his boss despite what everyone else thought. He only kept sleeping with him to get what he wanted, just like Mike had told him. And why had Jake been so murderous all of a sudden? Did he know something, Cody didn't know? Was Randy fucking someone he knew? Someone Jake knew?

He glanced at Jake who had a vicious expression on his face since the moment they had been in the hallway. What had he seen or heard that pissed him off like this? Suddenly the thought dawned and could've hit himself for his stupidity. It had been Mike Randy had been fucking and Jake knew. From the few things Mike had told him, Cody knew that Randy was always brutal with him and the fact that Mike hadn't followed Randy in with a similar satisfied grin on his face told him that it might have been even worse this time.

Jake in the meantime was still searching to the crates, examining gun after gun.

"You're one cold bastard, aren't you?"

Jake glared at him, his eyes narrowing, murder in the blue eyes. "You have no idea what you're fucking talking about so shut up."

Cody didn't give up this easily. Jake wouldn't hurt him, not with Ted, Randy and Chris this close. "Shouldn't you be with Mike right now? You know about Randy, don't you? Mike needs you now."

"You don't know Mike and you have no idea what he does or doesn't need." Jake snapped back, clenching his fists.

Cody had no idea how badly he wanted to be with Mike, but Mike would throw him out the moment he tried. Mike would come to him when he was ready. He always did.

The brunette huffed and turned his back to Jake. "If you're too cold do do something, I will. I'm his friend and I know him too." With this words he walked upstairs, leaving the blond behind.

Chris and Randy were still both leaning against the cold brick-wall, the decision to hire a third guy already made, Chris' eyes scanning Randy's face for any signs of remorse, of weakness as he puffed on yet another cigarette.

"So… what were you talking about earlier? You know… Mike changing sides?"

Randy just shrugged, flicking his cigarette away as he pushed himself off the wall, eyes staying fixed on the building straight in front of them to avoid Chris' boring gaze.

"It's taken care off, so why talk about it? I've another topic I wanted to talk to you about though."

Finally glancing over at the blond, their gazes met, Chris arching a brow at him as he tilted his head to the left.

"Okay... spill."

Randy sighed, looking back up at the sky as he already regretted the topic he was going to address.

"That kitten... I want you to allow Cody to keep it."

To say that Chris was surprised, would have been the understatement of the year, his brows furrowing in concentration, fingers rubbing his temples as his eyes blinked in disbelief.

"You want what?"

"The kitten... I want Cody to keep it." His voice was stern with only a slight edge of roughness added to it as he stared up at the clouds, completely blocking out the groans that Chris let go.

"Why would you? I mean... it's a damn kitten. I hate those flurry things... I hate those filthy little dog-meals... god... I even hate Cody. Why shall I allow him that damn kitten in the lab? It's a lab and not a zoo. He's supposed to work here, not to cuddle with some filthy fur."

"Fuck Chris... it's just a kitten. Why would you bother? You're never here anyway. Why not make that boy happy and get rid of the mice in one go."

"Mice?" Chris squeaked, blushing red-hot when he realized how that came out. "I mean, do we have mice?" He made an effort to keep his voice low and serious.

Randy chuckled, ignoring the fear in his friends voice for now, but intent on teasing him with it later when he didn't need a favor.

"Yes mice... you know those little squeaking creatures? That run around and spread diseases and nibble our precious drugs... Grey, tiny and with a long pink tail... that cats eat... mice!"

"Well... if that filthy kitten can get rid of the mice, Cody can keep it, but..." Chris looked at Randy with a menacing expression in his eyes, already chuckling on the inside for what his next remark would do to Randy. "Of course I can't just change my mind like that... it would ruin my reputation... I want the boy to come ask for it himself... and do me a little favor the same time."

Chris raised his eyebrow in a meaningful way, so happy with himself that he missed the swift change in expression on Randy's face. Only a second ago Randy had been smiling and almost relaxed. Now every muscle was tense, his fists were clenched, his eyes mere slits radiating insanity and rage.

"You... will not touch the boy... understand that, Chris?" It was rather spit into his partners face than said, his voice vibrating with anger as he got nose to nose with the blond.

"Oh... I don't intend on touching him, don't worry, Randal... but... he's got to do me a favor in return, right? Those lips of his against my skin... I bet they feel soft, so full... made to..."

He did not even know what was coming, Randy's fist connecting so hard with his nose that he flew backwards onto the hard surface, blood trickling down his face and onto his neat black suit, vision becoming blurry.

"You... stay... away... from... that... boy. Do I make myself clear, Chris?"

Jake had heard the loud thumb, running to the outside just to see Chris pushing himself up from the dirty alley, staring straight back into Randy's menacing, cold icy-blue eyes as he carefully touched his nose, wincing.

Upstairs Cody was knocking on Mike's door for the millionth time, soft words begging with his friend to open up for him.

"Please, Mike... let me in. I know you're in there. I heard you running upstairs. Come on... let me talk to you."

He definitely needed another strategy if he wanted to get him out of there -or at least get inside-

"I need your help... with Teddy. I almost have him were I want him, but you gotta do me a little favor to help, please."

He knew Mike would kill him for that lie, but he honestly saw it as his only chance right now.

A few minutes later, Cody finally heard footsteps approaching the door. The door opened to only a slit and Mike peeked out.

"What the fuck do you want Cody? Just leave me alone... I'll help you out tomorrow."

Cody startled when he saw the cut on Mike's lip, small amount of blood still trickling out of it, the already forming blue and purple bruises on his neck and chest. He quickly put his foot between the door to prevent Mike from shutting it in his face.

"Mike what happened? Did... did Randy do that?"

Cody's lip quivered. He still couldn't believe that the man who treated him so good, who was always nice to him, could be so different around Mike. Somewhere deep down he had thought that the things Mike told him were some sort of lie to manipulate him. But this was even worse than what Mike had said.

"You have nothing to do with this Cody. I don't need you or your pity, so piss off."

Cody swallowed hard, doing his best to hold back the tears threatening to fall as he shook his head.

"No... you let me in right now, Mike. I'm your friend... your best friend, maybe even your only friend. I have a right to know what's going on... and I want to help."

"Help?" Mike snorted at him as he once again tried to push the door close.

"Fuck Cody... just piss off. You don't even know how to help. There IS no way to help me. Just leave me the fuck alone for once."

Both jumped a little as they heard a loud yelp from downstairs, Cody getting distracted long enough so Mike could shut the door in his face.

Randy was kneeling over Chris, hand tightly gripping onto the blond's collar as he growled into his face.

"DID...I...MAKE...MYSELF...CLEAR?"

Ted had already joined Jake outside, both startled and surprised to see their bosses in a physical fight like this. Sure, they had bitched at each other a million times, but never before had any of them witnessed Randy's physical strength, especially not against Chris. The older man managed a small nod, actually truly scared by the behavior of his partner, the coldness and venom in his eyes, the danger in his voice telling him more than clearly that he had gone too far this time. Pushing Chris back with force, the blond's head hitting the hard and dirty alley, Randy got up again, brushing off his pants, eyes staying fixed on Chris.

"Good." Finally realizing he they weren't alone, he glared at the two blond's watching them, rolling his shoulders before cracking his neck. "What?"

Jake shrugged, not wanting to come between them and not giving a damn about whether they would kill each other off or not. It would make his job a lot easier. Actually he was glad that he had seen Randy in action, seen the actual insanity in his eyes, seen the way he moved. Randy was a predator, but so was Jake. The blond assassin was starting to look forward to the battle; he started it to see as a test of his skills. But first he needed to heal; for this he needed to be 100%. Without fear he met the demented eyes of the viper, the cool in his eyes daring Randy to strike right now, daring him to try with him that he so easily did with Chris, with Mike. Randy ripped his eyes away from Jake. He would deal with him later. He did not like the way Jake was looking at him, was defying him. He needed a lesson. But not now, sometime later... when Mike was there to witness it.

The confrontation had already cooled down when Cody came running outside, blinking at the situation in confusion, taking in Chris' heaving and bloody form, then letting his gaze drift to Randy, the coldness, the insanity, the rage in his eyes not only scaring him, but also making him feel guilty... how could he actually develop any kind of feelings for a man that heartless and that ruthless? As soon as Randy's eyes locked with his, a coolness washed over him, his features instantly softening, his lips curling up into a small smile, eyes filling with warmth. Just as if he was another person again, someone completely different.

Cody stared in Randy's eyes, not quite believing what he had just seen. This was the Randy he knew, the Randy that was his friend, the Randy that he... loved? But for the first time he had witnessed the Randy that Mike talked about; the Randy that Ted cowered away from; the Randy that Jake only talked about in utter disgust. The word "psycho" flew through his mind, as did Mike's "I'm pretty sure he hears voices" and Jake's "The guy is a maniac, you have no idea what you're dealing with."

Cody bit his lip, looking from Randy, to Jake, to Ted, to Chris. He had truly no idea what to do. He jumped when Randy suddenly stood in front of him, his hand cupping his boy's face, other hand sneaking around his waist.

"I was only standing up for you Codes. Only helping you out. You can keep your kitten."

Surprised Cody looked up in Randy's eyes, "You beat the crap out of him, so I could keep Teddy?"

Randy's smile grew wider as he nodded his head before pressing a light kiss to Cody's forehead.

"All for you, Codes."

The smaller man swallowed hard, feeling every set of eyes staring at him, staring through him, the coldness in all their looks making him realize the power he actually had over their boss. Taking a deep breath, he took a step back, hands firmly on Randy's strong chest as he willed himself to be strong.

"You shouldn't have done that, Randy... and you shouldn't have laid your hands on Mike."

The sternness in his voice, the hurt and pain in his usually so bright blue eyes made all of them aware of the seriousness of the situation.

"Cody... I..."

"NO! You shouldn't have done it, Randy. Basta."

Even though he was more than nervous, Cody also knew that this was the time for him to stand up, not only for himself, but for his friend. And maybe he could even get some remorse out of Randy, some sign of regret. None of them had ever seen this side of Cody, none of them would have guessed that he had this in him and all of them were holding their breaths. They were all so sure that Randy would not let this go through, that he would never let anyone talk to him like this, that Cody would never know what was hitting him. They all thought that Cody was about to die.

"Sorry."

Oh boy, were they wrong. The small whisper was still loud enough that everyone in presence had heard and Cody's eyes weren't the only ones widening in surprise.

* * *

Mike was turning and tossing in his bed. He was still wide awake and he just couldn't get comfortable. Frustrated he got up and rubbed his face. After taking a piss he paced his room for minutes, unable to relax, unable to stop the thoughts that were racing through his mind. Too much had happened tonight, too much had happened the last few days. He needed to talk to someone to order his thoughts; he needed to talk to Jake.

A few minutes later he hesitated in front of Jake's room. All was dark, like it had been hours ago when he went to bed. Slowly he entered the room, careful not to wake Jake. Jake was softly snoring as he lay on his back, the sound soothed Mike's nerves immediately. He realized that this was exactly where he wanted to be. Still moving carefully, he slid down under the covers and snuggled against Jake's body. Jake moaned a little bit, shifted and put his arm around Mike, pulling him even closer. His large hand cupped the back of Mike's head, pulled him towards him for a quick kiss and whispered with a sleepy voice.

"So we're gonna do this?"

"We're gonna try…"

Mike rested his head on Jake's shoulder, his arm around his waist and he closed his eyes. A minute later bother men were fast asleep.

* * *

**Did I tell you how much I like reviews? Gimme! The cookie goes to 2BME. Sorry for forgetting it last time. I'll give you another one if you review again ;)**


	5. Under One Condition

**A/N: We're both a bit disappointed in the lack of reviews for the last chapter. We actually thought with the great feedback from the first chapters and how many people alerted the story that it would be a lot more. **

**But... well... We've noticed all reviews have been a little low the last few weeks and we think now's a great time to turn around. This chapter contains something I don't think has ever been written. So read and review please! It's long, we know it, but this story is so much fun to write, that we can't help it. So We could say that we're sorry... but well... I know I'm not.**

**True, me neither. I can't help it when I get carried away and this story definitely proves to be one of my favorites to write so far. Not only because it has lots of smut *winks* but also because it's different. As for following chapters: Look out for more "firsts"...**

**Ow... I like first... well at least some... some other things just shouldn't be written. Enough rambling... on with the serious business.**

**Warnings: Chapter contains sweet sweet love-making... oh, who am I kidding? It contains sex, hot, rough, sex... and some hints of violence and abusE. Oh, and don't forget bad language *winks*.**

**Disclaimer: We wished we owned someone, but for some stupid reason we don't. All this only takes place in our sick, insane minds that we love for creating these images. We want to thanks our muses for inspiring us. They make a nice substitute for owning the real wrestlers.**

* * *

The first strays of sun made their way into the lab. Barely a sound was heard, the only signs of life were the tapping of a pen against the desk and the soft purring noises of the kitten in Cody's lab. He had done a lot of thinking over the last night, not once being able to even close his eyes. All the actions and happenings of the past day keeping him wide awake.

His eyes showed a mix of exhaustion and frustration, frustration over what Randy had done to Mike, frustration about him falling for his boss, frustration over him forgiving the older man so easily. His brain was so melted that he had a hard time concentrating on the formula. For weeks, he was working on it and still nothing wanted to work.

Throwing his pen away with a frustrated huff, startling little Teddy by it as it gasped and jumped off his lap, Cody pushed the chair aside and got up, almost jumping back when he was met with the dull, empty eyes of his best friend, his only friend, standing right in front of him. "Mike!"

It was more a surprised and rather unmanly squeal as he clasped a hand over his heart. Mike cracked a small smile at him, nodding and mumbling a "Good morning" before the frown returned to his handsome face, his features hardening again as he looked Cody over.

"You... you look like shit."

Cody managed a soft smile, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms in front of him, tilting his head. "Oh well... so do you."

"Well, it's been a rough night." Mike raked his hand through his already untidy hair making it stand up even more. Cody smiled at how boyish this made him look and how much this look masked the hard man inside. Mike had a thousand faces and it had taken Cody a lot of time to be allowed to see a little bit of what Mike truly was like. He often wondered what had happened to Mike as a child to make him turn out the way he did. The only thing Mike had ever told about his childhood was that when no one takes care of you, you needed to learn to take care of yourself.

"It's been a rough few days," Mike added. "This place is never normal, but right now it's crazy."

Cody nodded, "I know; Carlos getting robbed, Jake being injured, Cena and Stephen on the loose out for revenge, Randy acting all psycho on Chris."

Mike tensed at the mention of Randy, anger and fear distorting his face for only a second, before he had himself under control again. "Yeah, about that..." Mike turned his back to Cody,

pushing his hands deep in his pockets. "What happened yesterday?"

Cody shrugged, pushing himself away from the desk, as he made his way over to the kitchen, desperate to pour himself some coffee.

"Well... Randy punched Chris out and... threatened him."

Mike's brows shot up as he listened, slowly and silently following Cody over to the cabinet, eyes staying fixed on the young brunette as he grabbed two cups out of it.

"He did what? Why?"

Pouring both of them some coffee, Cody turned around with a mug in his hand, holding it out for his friend before grabbing his own. "Said that it was about the kitten... but I don't believe that it's just been that."

Mike nodded, his eyes still wide, brows furrowing in concentration, head lowered as he stared into his coffee as if to search for words in it.

"What... what happened between you and... Randy?"

Cody could see the muscles tensing, could see the jaw clenching and Mike's grip on the cup tightening just at the mention of their boss' name. A low growl escaped the man as he shook his head. "You already know... I don't have to tell you."

Cody just nodded his head, staring into his cup himself, chewing on his lips as the remorse came over him. He had to know it though.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why... has... why did he do that... yesterday... I mean?"

Mike shrugged. He was not so sure yet if he could really trust Cody, was not so sure if Cody would not run to Randy the moment he told the truth. However, if he changed sides he wanted Cody with him. He needed him for his skills, for the fact that Cody knew too much about him and because, deep in his heart, he enjoyed having the young man around. Mike would never admit this, but somehow Cody reminded him of himself, of how he could have been growing up in different circumstances. Cody stayed silent, knowing very well that anything he said right now would make Mike storm out and never mention the subject again.

"Randy was pissed at me for talking to Regal in the pub." Mike suddenly started talking in an emotionless tone. Cody still kept quiet, hoping that Mike would be a little more explicit. "He thought I was giving him information, that I was spying for them. Of course I wasn't, but no need telling Randy anything when he is in mood like that."

Cody chewed on his bottom-lip, nodding knowingly. He realized first hand yesterday, how Randy could get when something did not go as he had planned. His eyes staying fixed on Mike; he hopped onto the counter, crossing his legs in front of him. "I..." Mike suddenly looked up at him, locking eyes with him as to search for the answer, to search for the trust and faith he was hoping for in those deep-blue eyes. "If I tell you something, Codes... promise you won't go running to Randy... or anyone else."

Cody furrowed his brows, tilting his head a little, as his fingertip circled the edge of his cup, wrinkles on his face showing the confusion. It took him a while to finally nod at his friend, a slight smile crossing his lips.

"Promise... you know you can trust me Mike. As much as I... well... admire Randy... I'd never bullshit you. You're my best friend... my only real friend and god knows without you I'd probably be dead."

A sigh of relieve left Mike's lips as he nodded his head, eyes scanning the room another time for any hint of another human being, for a hint of cameras or microphones. Leaning up towards Cody, the younger man meeting him halfway down, he whispered into Cody's ear." Regal made us an offer... a really good one... me, you... and even Jake. They want us, Codes... and I actually think about taking it."

Cody looked flabbergasted. "What? He offered you what? Fuck Mike... Chris and Randy will be out for your... for our skin."

"Shush man, be quiet. Randy almost killed me for talking to Regal, what will he do if we're talking about this?"

Cody nodded; blue eyes wide with concern, brows frowned from thinking about the consequences of what Mike proposed. He willed his voice back to a whisper, "But I thought that you despised Hunter, I mean, he's even dumber and more arrogant than Chris. The whole reason we're doing this good, is that Hunter is fucking up."

Mike grinned, "But that's the beauty of this. Regal hinted that if I take their offer, Hunter might not be around for long." Mike started pacing through the lab. "Think about it Codes, just think about the possibilities." He scanned the room again, making sure no one had entered when he was not looking, before he added in a low voice. "Even if Chris and Randy weren't the dirty morons they are, here we'll never be more than employees. There we can rule the place in time. Regal won't be around forever, you know."

Cody stayed silent for a while, eyes furrowing in concentration while he gnawed on his lips, eyes flicking from Mike to his coffee back to Mike as he thought about it. "But..." Mike tilted his head, hands now on his hips as he looked up at the young brunette in concern, concern of having told him too much, of the younger man breaking down, of Cody refusing to see the truth.

A small sigh emitted from Cody's lips as he fixed his eyes on Mike, nodding. "It sounds good... but... when? I mean... if we really do this... we need back-up and... I'd have to take all my formulas with me, the kitten, the pills. That's a whole lot of stuff... and... I... "

The stutter soon faded as Mike groaned, shaking his head, getting a little frustrated with his friend. "You don't want to leave that bastard, right? Cody... after all he has done to me... to us... I mean... are you really that blind, that stupid?"

"What if I... what if I can change him? You should have seen him yesterday, heard him. He even apologized to me... in front of everyone. What if there's still a nice, caring guy somewhere hidden inside of him? I could... you know... I could try to talk him out of laying his hands on you. And Chris? I'm sure Randy will kill him one day anyways... and then... you could rise up to his spot."

It was hopeless, Mike knew it at exactly that moment that Cody would never leave the side of that bastard, that monster. Whatever he was trying to do or say, he would never get his friend to join him. The kid was just too damn love-struck.

"Fuck Cody... Do you even hear yourself talk? Do you hear yourself defend that... that monster. When I call him psycho, I'm not kidding Cody. You think I'm exaggerating, aren't you? What do you think that will happen after I leave? What will happen when he thinks you're cheating on him? Or that you will betray him? He might act like a cute little toy now, but his problems, they will only get worse, and his aggression will have to come out someway. What are you gonna do when he starts to beat you? When he'll rape you to show you who's boss?"

The eyes of his friend said enough. He felt sick to his stomach for telling him about the offer, sick about the dark future he saw for his friends.

"Just forget it Cody. Forget we ever talked about this... But realize this; Randy already has a target on his back. I can handle a lot, I will take a lot of abuse if needed, but what happened last night that crossed every boundary I have."

Mike stormed out the lab, meaning on going back to his room, but hesitating in the hallway, doubting between solitude and the comfort of Jake's company.

Cody's vision blurred through the tears forming in his eyes. Sure, he did not want to lose Mike as a friend, sure, he wanted out of that shithole, away from Chris, from that disgusting building, even from Randy... but he could not. God knew, he had thought about it a lot, the possibilities he had, the chances he could take, the better way of life, less risks and more money, but each and every time he had thought about it a stab of guilt had washed over him.

He owned Randy so much, his whole life actually, something Mike would never get, something he had never told Mike... and he knew, yes knew, that deep down inside of Randy... there was still a human being. The simple words "I'm sorry" having him shown exactly that. The man only needed help... and he truly hoped he could give him that.

Mike had not said more than ten words after he had knocked on Jake's door and told him to come. He could see by the expression on the brunette's face that he was deep in thoughts. Jake was almost afraid to break the silence, afraid of what went on behind that furrowed brow.

When he woke up this morning, his bed empty, no evidence that Mike had indeed been there, he started to think that he had dreamt all of it. After biting his tongue at least a dozen times, he finally got the words to leave his lips. "Mike... Last night... did I dream that?"

Mike looked at the blond, the first real smile of the day around his lips, a smile that made Jake's heart feel lighter, "No, you didn't Jakey." His smile became even wider when he noticed the obvious relieve on the younger man's voice and the grin that lightened his handsome features.

"Good..." That came out as a sigh. "Where are we going?" Mike focussed his attention back on the road, stopping for a red sign at the very last moment. "We're gonna check out our new goon."

Jake nodded, happy that Chris and Randy had agreed on that before Randy attacked Chris over that annoying little boy.

Why the boy had such a soothing effect on Randy, he had no idea, but he also did not want to know. Fact was that as soon as he had his health back, he was going to kill that sloppy, psychotic bastard.

"You know... what he did yesterday..." His words were stopped by a hand in front of his face, Mike's muscles flexing, jaw clenching as he growled out. "Stop... no word about it, okay?"

The blond nodded, turning his face back towards the street, though his eyes stayed fixed on Mike, seeing the frown, the anger, the pain in his face as he pulled up in front of their favorite pub.

"We're here."

"Mike," Jake tried again, "You gotta talk about this someday. Why don't you trust me?"

Mike glared at him, the look in his eyes, commanding and dangerous and oh so cold. "I don't have to do anything. Don't try to throw bullshit like trust in my face. This is my business and if I wanted to tell you, I would. Now quit acting like Cody and start acting like the killer you are."

Jake clenched his jaw shut, seeing he had overstepped a line here, afraid that he might have ruined things for himself again. "Yes boss," he said while saluting.

Mike could not quite hide his grin at this gesture. Jake was softening him. "Come on, Jakey. Let's see if that piece of muscle Louis recommended is anywhere near your standards."

They entered the pub together; Jake following Mike only an inch away, the young mans eyes scanning the room for enemies and spies as usual before heading for the bar. Locking eyes with Louis, he nodded, following the bartenders gaze to a dark corner of the pub, a tall, ravened-haired, handsome man downing a shot of what looked like Vodka sitting alone in the booth.

Mike gave Jake a short nudge, nodding over to him as a sign for the blond to lead the way. Reaching the corner, Jake scanned the room again before shielding Mike from boring stares and possible onlooking gazes, the younger man slithering into the booth next to the stranger. The tall man looked up from his shot, eyes locking as he nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"Barrett?"

Jake stared approvingly at the big man in front of him. He was well muscled and looked as if he was comfortable with his body. The crooked nose bore witness that he had seen fights and the look in his eyes spoke of confidence and authority. On first sight, this was someone... well useful, infinite more useful than Ted.

Barrett nodded, taking in both men. He realized immediately that none of these men would be messed with. The blond eyed him warily, but with slight approval in his eyes. Wade had no doubt however that he would be dead the moment he made a wrong move; this man was more than dumb muscle, he seemed to be what rumors said to be. He focussed instead on the smaller man, that seemed to be in charge and gave him a curt nod. "Wade Barrett. You're Mizanin?"

Mike only nodded, his eyes never leaving Wade, seeing the way he studied Jake, the wariness and even respect in his eyes. Mike kept silent, staring the other man down, a slight smirk across his lips as he saw him getting uncomfortable. That was a good sign; the man could recognize authority when he saw it.

"You were looking to hire?" Wade broke the silence when it was clear that Mike would not say anymore.

Mike again nodded and leant back seemingly relaxed. "What have you heard?"

Wade's brows furrowed as he studied the laid-back expression on the brunette's face, his arms firmly placed on the table as his hand held onto his glass. "Not much... they were talkin bout ya guys hiring... needing another man... someone who's ruthless, who's fearless, who's quick... and who likes to kill." The last part was said with lips curling up into a wicked smirk, the dark eyes clearly showing no remorse, something that did not go unnoticed by Jake.

He instantly knew they had found their man that exact moment, giving Mike a knowing nod. Mike's head turned from Jake back to Barrett, his eyes staring straight into the soul of the young man. He was good in reading people, one of his specialities he had learned while living on the streets. He could see in their eyes if they were lying, if they could be trusted, if they would bow down or rebel. That guy right there... he was worth keeping.

Mike let his lips curl into a smirk, at the same time maintaining the boring eye contact. "You're dead right about the job description. We need something like that, to solve a few little problems. I must say you seem promising and Jake here seems to like you. There's only one little thing... It's about loyalty..."

Wade leant back in his seat, raising an eyebrow, but keeping silent until the brunette continued his sentence. "You know about bosses, don't you Wade? You understand that the ones in charge are not necessary the ones that know what they are doing? That often it's not them who you should be loyal to."

Wade grinned, nodding slowly, he liked where this was going. He knew ambition when he saw it, and the young man sitting next to him, boiled over with it.

Mike shrugged "Of course, nothing like this is going on with Chris and Randy. They are very, very smart and our loyalty more than worthy." He spoke these words in a serious enough tone, but the expression on his face completely ridiculed what he said. A second later his face was serious again, staring in Wade's eyes looking for a sign of doubt.

"I take it that you understand what I mean? That you will make the right choice when the time comes."

"Yes sir."

Mike grinned again. "Oh, I'm no sir... I'm just Mike... at least, for now."

Wade nodded, running his tongue over his teeth as his eyes flicked over to Jake again, instantly recognizing the look in his eyes as they fixed on Mike. Grinning to himself, he made a mental note not to mess with either of them since he was sure they would do anything for one another, the blonde-haired person by killing him, the brunette by making the rest of his life a living hell.

Though they still had another guy on their list to talk to, Mike knew something good when he saw it. Taking the risk, his lips turned into a small smile as he held his hand out to the dark-haired male. "Well, Wade..." The scribbled postlet changed hands while they shook them, unnoticed by anyone in the busy pub. "I guess we'll see each other a lot more often from now on. Your job starts tomorrow at 7 am. Make sure to be there in time."

With that said, Mike stood, nodding a last time towards their newest asset before letting himself be led out of the corner and out of the pub. Of course, he had done his research on that Barrett guy before they had met up. He would have never so easily trusted someone without doing some investigation. Giving that guy the address to their secret lab was a big sign of trust and by the look of approval on Jake's face on their way to the office, he already knew that he had done the right thing.

Now they only had to get the news through to Chris. There was no way he would be facing that disgusting psycho again after the last day, so Chris was the man to talk to about their newest assignment.

* * *

He really did not know why he was here, in this situation, in front of Randy's office right now. A half hour ago, Mike had called him, explaining the situation to him about the third man he had hired and had pleaded with him to give Randy that information, to tell him the news. In the end, he and Chris were the guys having the last word since they were the guys who would pay Barrett for his job.

After the happenings of the last evening, Cody had had no intention to face Randy anytime soon. Not knowing how to react, how to behave, fearing that the older man might snap on him after speaking up to him yesterday. Sure, he had said he was sorry for what he had done to Mike… and Chris, but still… yesterday Cody had seen a new side of Randy, the side everyone else but him knew about already and it scared him shitless.

He could not blame Mike though for sending him. Even though Mike was always playing tough and strong, Cody knew that what Randy had done the past 24 hours had paid its dues on his friend, had weakened him –physically as well as mentally. In addition, he could not deny the soothing effect he had on Randy.

Taking another deep breath, building himself up, he knocked at his office, waiting for the usual "Come in", bracing himself for the worst as he opened.

Randy realized from the first look at the younger man that this visit had nothing personal to it, that Cody sure had not come to give him his reward, the boy's eyes cold as ice, his lips forming a thin, hard line, body language speaking for itself. He frowned a little, already knowing from Cody's attitude yesterday that he had crossed a line, that he had taken it too far, that he had disappointed the young brunette.

Cody walked straight towards the desk, instead of sitting down in the chair opposite to Randy deciding to stand in front of it, making himself bigger than he was and giving Randy no other chance than to look up at him as he opened his mouth to speak… but got interrupted immediately.

"I'm sorry, Cody."

Closing his eyes, turning his head to the side for a moment to hide his surprise and to collect his thoughts, Cody did not reply right away. He had realized from the moment he had stepped inside that Randy's eyes spoke more than a thousand words, remorse, guilt, regret showing in them, but he was not here to get himself lulled in once again, he was here to talk business.

Turning back around he opened his eyes again, face cold as stone.

"Mike hired the third guy today. His name's Barrett. Former member of the Navy. Knows a lot about all kind of weapons. Mike says he's loyal and knows how to bow to authority. He's high up on that guy. Jake, too. He's tall, can move quickly, has a lot of knowledge about what's going on in town, about the cops, some inside scoop and all. I just wanted to tell you that."

The sternness in his voice and the black in his eyes let Randy's frustration grow, but instead of snapping, he just rested his head in his hands, taking several deep breaths.

Not getting any reaction, Cody shook his head as he looked down at his boss, chewing the insides of his cheeks while he kept his arms crossed in front of his chest. He honestly had never seen Randy like this before and was close to feel sorry for him, but only close. After that talk he had had with Mike earlier today, he knew he had to stay strong, he knew he could not expect any kind of warmth, concern, caring or even love from the taller, older man.

"Codes… I'm really sorry… you gotta believe me."

The words might have only been mumbled, but the brunette had heard them loud and clear, closing his eyes again as he looked down at his shoes, shaking his head. He could hear the chair moving and the footsteps coming towards him, but did not dare to look up. He had to stay strong, had to stay cold.

Large palms carefully cupped his cheek, forcing his face up again, forcing him to lock eyes with the man they called "Viper", those deep blue eyes making him drown instantly as they begged with him.

"You have to believe me that…"

Pulling his head free from Randy's grip, Cody's features hardened again, fists clenching at his sides as he glared at him.

"No Randy… you know what? What you've done to Mike yesterday… that was… that was just cruel, something a monster would do, but not a man. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially not my friend… my BEST friend. You've RAPED him, Randy… you did not only fuck with him, you've fucked him up! And then you go around carelessly hitting Chris? Okay, he is an asshole and all, but really, Randy… he's still our boss, your partner! You can't just snap at him for the good of a kitten!"

He was close to tears by now, tears of anger, of frustration, of disappointment, his eyes staying locked with Randy's though, searching them for any kind of dignity, of remorse.

"You've crossed a line yesterday, Randy… I don't even know you anymore. Every single time you're with me… you're so… you can be so sweet and caring… and gentle even… but yesterday… you were a whole other person, Randy… what happened? What happened to the guy I've grown up with? The guy who took care of me when I needed a home, money, a friend?"

Randy was struck by Cody's words. Never in his life would he have thought that he could disappoint Cody like that. He had always been the younger ones hero, the man he had looked up to, his shining knight in armor. He did not know how to react to those words other than…

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah… you've said that already, Randy… but words won't do it this time."

The brunette's voice had calmed down, sounding hurt, cracking, as if he was struggling for the right things to say, his eyes filled with tears now as he looked at the ground, shaking his head.

"Really Randy… you…"

He was really struggling for words now, having already said everything that had been on his mind before entering the office. In his eyes, it was Randy's turn now, but the silence that met him made him worry that the elder man had nothing to say.

Randy's tongue darted out to lick his lips, before biting onto the lower one, own eyes moving to his shoes as he thought about everything Cody had said. He was right, the boy was absolutely right. The drugs and the life on the streets, the position he was in, the streets he had to cope with, it all had fucked him up, it had all screwed up his mind. The voices he was hearing as of late clearly proving it.

He needed to act, he needed to do something fast or else he would lose the boy, he was sure of it… what he was not sure about was if he wanted to lose the boy, if he could really live without him, truly face the world outside without Cody right beside him? Was he really getting that weak?

He had known Cody for all his life, as soon as the boy was old enough he had brought him into this business, as soon as he was ready enough they had started to fuck, but it had not been until as of late that he had grown attracted to the boy, had grown a soft spot for him. Never in his life would he have thought that he could fall in love and definitely not with the little, innocent, naïve boy from next door. But obviously, he had been wrong.

The conversation between Cody and Jake he had overheard yesterday had shown him how wrong he had been exactly. That had been one of the reasons he had snapped on Mike: he could not cope with having such feelings, could not grasp where they were coming from all of a sudden, had been frustrated with himself for letting his guard down, for weakening, for letting that young boy take over his body, his mind and on top of it… his heart. He needed him, needed Cody to be happy so he could cope with all the shit going on in his own life. If Cody was happy, he was happy… thus, he needed fewer drugs, thus he could concentrate a lot better on doing his job, thus he had less stress.

The silence slowly got defeating, Cody's eyes roaming over his boss' body as he waited for him to say something, anything. The tense muscles, the scars all over his arms, covered up by some sort of art, his well toned body, the frown on his else so handsome face, the wrinkles on his forehead. He knew he was thinking… he only hoped it were some sort of good thoughts.

"Tell me what you want!"

The sudden words, in a tone that sent a shiver down his spine, hoarse, raspy, full, made Cody lock eyes with his boss again, arching a brow in not only surprise but also confusion as Randy took a step closer.

Sensing Cody's confusion, his lips curled up in a small smile as he once again cupped those rosé cheeks in his large palm, gently, carefully, his thumbs caressing the bags under Cody's eyes.

"Tell me what you want… what do you want me to do to prove to you that I am not the monster you think I am? Tell me what I have to do to make you trust me again, to make you… to make you happy again?"

His brow shot up even higher as he suspiciously eyed Randy's face, searching for any sign of joke, of prank he might be playing with him. The seriousness in his eyes, the almost warm smile on his lips though showed Cody that the older man was being nothing but honest.

"Well… for once… keep your hands away from Mike… forever. No touching him, not even by accident, no fucking him, no hitting him, nothing…"

He stopped to wait for Randy's reaction even more surprised when the short-shaven man nodded his head, though his lips were pursed in a pout.

"O… kay."

"Randy… I'm being serious… don't think it's funny… and don't start acting all kid-like."

Randy let go of a sigh before nodding again, smiling slightly at his young protégé.

"I'm not… go ahead."

"And… I want you to apologize to Mike… openly… and honestly."

Randy's brows furrowed as he tilted his head, tongue snaking out to run over his lips before sighing and nodding again.

"I think I can do that… anything else?"

Cody's eyes almost popped out of his head as he heard Randy agree. He would have never thought that he really had that much power over the man, that he would actually listen to him even without going down on his knees and sucking him off. If he had known that sooner, he would have been able to avoid carpet-burn a lot.

The young brunette shook his head, running a hand through his fluffed hair before smacking his lips, glancing down at the floor for a moment before looking back up, a smirk on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew he might be pushing his luck now, but with Randy already agreeing to keep his hands off Mike and to even apologize to him, he just had to try it.

The gleam in Cody's eyes, that smirk of him, the confidence written all over his face, it almost scared Randy a bit. He was bracing himself for the worst to come, tongue darting out again to wet his lips as he intensely stared down at the kid.

"I want us to be official… like… dating official. I want you to take me out… no sex afterwards… just you and me on a date. You can still fuck whoever you want… I don't want anything exclusive, cause I already know you'd fuck it up the first chance you get… and this way I have no reason to worry in case I want to fuck someone… but I want us to be official… as… in having a real relationship."

He already knew Randy would never do that. That psycho he had seen yesterday, that monster who had first raped Mike and then threatened Chris would never ever date him, would never get into a serious relationship with him, would never in a million days admit that he had a soft spot for him, that he cared for him as something else than just a fuck-buddy.

The hot breath ghosting over his ear startled him a little, Randy leaning down to him, one hand gently cupping Cody's neck while the other pulled him closer by his waist as he whispered.

"You have a deal… you and me… official."

Blinking a few times, Cody shook his head in disbelief, pulling back to once again stare at the elder man, studying his face for any hint of joke, for it might have been a prank he was playing on him, but the warmth in his eyes, the sincere smile that met him, they proved him wrong.

"You… sorry… did you just… agree?"

A low chuckle escaped Randy's throat as he leaned back down, brushing his lips over Cody's, his eyes never leaving the blue pools staring at him, so close, so very close, as he mouthed.

"I told you… anything you want."

* * *

They had only been in Chris' office for a minute and already Mike could sense the tension between Jake and their boss, the blonde's fists clenched at his side, his lips pressed tightly together, curled up in a snarl, eyes full of disgust and hatred. He was not sure if it had been such a good idea to bring him with him while talking business with Chris, but it was already too late to change that now.

Chris' elbows were on his desk, head propped up on his hands as he arched a brow at the young brunette.

"So… you want us to hire that guy? That Barrett? No one else?"

Mike nodded his head, standing in front of the wooden table, hands on his hips as he was trying to make himself look bigger than he was, a cocky smile on his lips to hide his insecurity.

"Yeah. He's definitely the best man for the job. He's tall, strong, quick. He has a knowledge about weapons that almost matches Jake's. He has inside-scoop on the cops and he knew how to treat authority and how to bow. I doubt we'll find anyone who's better."

There was no need in telling their boss that he had already hired him, that he had already given him the address to their secret lab and told him to be there the next morning. He watched Chris leaning back into his chair, tapping his fingers onto the desk while his lips curled up into that sick smirk of his. He knew exactly when something deranged was on his bosses mind and now was one of those times.

"I'll hire him… under one condition!"

Suppressing the groan that threatened to escape his lips, Mike took a deep breath, nodding, eyes flicking over to where Jake stood in time to see the blonde's jaw clench.

"Okay… what do you want?"

Slowly getting out of his chair, Chris stood, leaning over the desk to get nose-to-nose with Mike, the smirk never leaving his lips as he ran his tongue over them.

"You…" Hearing the low growl emitting from the other blond, he turned his head to arch a brow at him, smacking his lips before the wicked smirk reappeared. "…and you!"

Two sets of eyes widened almost comically, Mike's mouth dropping open as he tried to find words, Jake's muscles immediately tensing as he shook his head, but saying nothing. Chris watched their expressions as he let himself plop back down in his chair, readjusting himself so he sat on it with his legs spread wide, his arms on his thighs, running his tongue over his teeth.

"I want the two of you… together… I want to watch how Jakey-boy there fucks you senseless, then I want to slide my big dick down your throat… and after that… we switch."

"NO FUCKING WAY!"

The rage and fury in Jake's eyes would have scared everyone away, the muscles in his jaw clicking, those in his shoulders bulging as he stormed over to the desk, pounding his fist onto it, leaning over to get into the still smugly smirking man's face.

"No… fucking… way will I participate in something as sick and twisted as that… no way… and I sure as hell won't…"

A gentle, soft hand wrapping around his biceps interrupted him, squeezing it and he swallowed hard before turning his head to face his lover, the brunette having a stern expression on his face, eyes lifeless and lacking of energy as he shook his head at him. He could make out the low chuckle emitting from Chris' throat, but did not dare to turn his eyes away from the brunette, watching him turn his attention to their boss and nodding his head.

"If we do it… you'll hire Barrett?"

Chris' smirk grew as he nodded, hands sliding up and down his own thighs, the bulge between them more than visible.

"Okay… we'll do it…" Jake was about to protest again, but was silenced with Mike's hand coming up in front of his face, his lovers eyes staying fixed on the blond in his chair. "…but… for that, Jake gets an extra weapon of his choice… for every single commission he's doing from now on… plus… this will be the last time for me… and you."

Chris' brows furrowed at the offer, one hand coming up to rub his chin as he chewed his lips, clearly thinking about the options. Mike could feel the bulging muscles in Jake's biceps underneath his palm, could hear the heavy breathing coming from his lover, but his eyes never left Chris, watching the older man ponder.

The minutes almost felt like hours, the tension in the room growing with every passing second, Jake's eyes pleading with Mike not to do it. The younger man could feel those wide, blue eyes on him, could feel the boring gaze of his lover, but he shrugged it off. This deal was something he had planned for forever. He had just needed Chris to ask him for a favor and now had been the perfect time. That it would be like cheating now that he and Jake were serious occurred to him the second Chris had made the offer, but right now, it was all about the business… and his plan.

As long as Chris did not get to fuck Jake and as long as he would keep his hands away from him after today, he could care less. The weapons for Jake were only a bonus, something to sooth him after it was done, something to reward him for not snapping, something to make him happy, because Mike knew as well as Chris that this here was clearly against everything Jake believed in.

"Deal."

The raspy voice snapped Mike out of his trance, seeing Chris leaning forward in his chair again, grinning at him, pupils already blown with lust. The shudder running down Mike's spine as he saw the gleam in his boss's eyes was nothing compared to what he usually felt when being with his lover. Jake growled again right into his ear this time, Mike's grip on his forearm tightening as he forced himself to lock eyes with the blond, the look he gave him saying more than thousand words.

Jake swallowed, sighing heavily as he gave up, nodding his head in defeat before turning his attention back to their boss. The blond had gotten out of his chair again, slowly making his way towards them, Jake's muscles tensing and his jaw clicking as he tried to stay calm, tried to keep himself under control.

Chris made a beeline for Mike, walking straight up to him, big, cocky smirk plastered on his face as he cupped the brunette's cheeks in his hands, knowing the other blond could do nothing against it. He leaned forward to brush his lips over Mike's, feeling him shiver and tremble under his touch as he whispered to him.

"This is gonna be so much fun, Mikey."

Pressing his lips onto the brunette's, his eyes wandering towards Jake, he grinned wickedly before closing his eyes and pulling Mike closer by his hips, rubbing his straining erection against Mike's covered groin, enjoying the little mewl the boy gave him.

It took over a minute until the blond pulled away again, admiring the kiss-swollen lips of Mike before turning his attention back to the tall blond next to them, smirking.

"Undress him, Jakey boy… and while you're at it, make sure he's nice and hard by the time his clothes are off."

Sending him another glare, Jake stepped forward, his eyes fixating on their boss, watching him lean back against his desk, his palm running down his torso before lingering on his jeans-clad hard-on, rubbing it while watching his employees through half-lidded eyes.

The moment he felt Mike's soft palm on his cheek, Jake turned his attention towards his lover again, meeting the soft azure eyes of him, seeing the velvet-like, full lips parting in a silent plea. His hands started to roam the brunette's torso almost automatically, touching and feeling the muscles underneath his shirt. Both of them tried to blend out the psycho standing only a few feet away as they locked eyes, Jake carefully opening Mike's dress-shirt, unbuttoning it slowly, one by one, making sure to let his fingertips brush over the sensitive skin of his lover as he unpeeled the shirt. The little gasps and moans emitting Mike's throat were only drowned out by the groans from the dirty bastard leaning against the desk.

Carefully sliding Mike's shirt off his shoulders, two sets of eyes widened, a gasp emitting from Jake's throat as he took in the damage on his lovers body. Even Chris had to admit that Randy had definitely gone too far. Two huge purple bruises adorned his throat, two other his chest, there were scratches on his back and on his waist, another big bruise right above his abs.

Neither Jake nor Chris could tear their eyes away from the nasty looking marks on the brunette's body and neither of them saw the hurt in Mike's eyes at the attention they were giving them, neither of them could see the shame, the pain in them as he swallowed hard, lowering his head in embarrassment.

Chris was the first to speak, tearing his gaze away from the purple bruises and up to meet Jake's eyes, trying to play it cool –though he was just as much affected as the other blond.

"Continue!"

Jake gulped down, nodding, fingers now trembling as he slowly slid down to his knees, carefully rubbing his hands over the brunette's torso from his chest down to his abs, their eyes momentarily locking again, sending him a warming smile.

Mike sucked in a deep breath, gaze never leaving the warm eyes of his lover, suddenly more than glad that he had agreed on this whole thing since he did not know what he would do without Jake right now. Closing his eyes he let his other senses take over again feeling the hot breath ghosting over his jeans-covered erection, the skilled, long fingers making quick work of his button and zipper as Jake pealed the material down the strong, firm thighs, fingertips running over the soft skin of the brunette. He could feel himself instantly hardening just from the soft touches of the blond, his thick length building a tent in the silky black boxers he was wearing.

Jake's eyes roamed over the body of his lover, blending out the marks and bruises for the moment as he admired the strong, tense muscles in all the right places, the firm abs and the bulky thighs, the mere thought of them wrapped around his waist while he pounded into his love's tight, welcoming heat enough to make himself growl with need, his own pants becoming increasingly tight all of a sudden.

A loud groan make Jake's eyes snap towards the desk, seeing Chris tucking at his thick, meaty girth, pants and underwear lowered to his knees as he watched them with close interest through lust-clouded eyes. How much he wanted to just smack that disgusting grin off his face only he and Mike knew.

Turning his attention back towards his love, Jake gently nuzzled his cheek against the straining bulge in front of him, eliciting a gasp from the brunette. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, Jake smirking up at him before hooking his fingers into the waistband and slowly freeing the throbbing length from its confines.

Lifting first one, then the other foot, holding onto Jake's strong shoulders, Mike gave Jake the chance to fully slide the clothes off his legs.

"Get up, Jake! Take your clothes off for us, come on!"

The sharp tone in Chris' voice though it was low and throaty made Mike's gaze turn towards his boss, biting hard on his lips as he saw Chris fisting himself, those fat, wobbly thighs thrusting forwards and backwards through the tight ring of sloppy fingers. To him it was one of the most disgusting things ever and if it had not been for Jake blowing on his tip just in the exact moment, he would have gone limp again.

Jake made sure to brush his fingers over Mike's erection as he got back up, stealing a chaste kiss from his man before taking a step back, slowly unpeeling his own clothes, clearly enjoying the bright blue eyes staring at his body while he stripped, putting on a show just for his lover, blending out the fact that they weren't alone.

When only his boxers were left, Jake let his eyes travel back to Chris again in time to see him pinch his nipples, shirt already thrown aside. He had to concentrate on his task so not to go limp again, tearing his eyes back to his lover and those lust-clouded, half-lidded eyes of his, winking at him as he let his hand slide down his body, rotating his hips before he hooked his fingers in his boxers, slowly, agonizingly slowly sliding them down his muscular thighs and kicking them off.

The heat in Mike's gaze could have melted even a stonewall as he let his eyes roam his lovers body, admiring what was more than just art to him, it was perfection. However, their eye-fuck got interrupted by Chris clearing his throat, striding over to them and in between them, smirking at Jake before he turned his attention towards Mike, hands coming up to be placed on the brunette's shoulders before letting them slide down his torso, over his arms, then his sides and up again over his abs to his chest, Mike's whole body shuddering in disgust as he tried to look past his boss and towards Jake but failed as Chris moved in his line of vision, leaning down to capture the brunette's lips in a bruising and hard kiss.

When he finally pulled away, one hand tangled in Mike's hair, he smirked over at Jake; the younger mans face twisted with frustration and rage, but his hard-on showing him that he clearly enjoyed the show nonetheless. Winking at him, Chris walked around Mike until he stood behind him, clamping his hands down on the pert cheeks gaining a yelp from the brunette.

"Now Mikey… who do you wanna suck first? You wanna get lover-boy over there nice and wet so he can fuck you and blow his load in your nice and tight ass…" Running his hands up and down Mike's cheeks, he started nibbling at the younger mans neck, the growl coming from the other blond not going unnoticed, but being ignored. "… or do you want to taste me… and later let me fill you up? You're choice, Mikey boy."

Swallowing hard, the brunette looked back over his shoulder, for a brief moment locking eyes with his lover trying to search for an answer in his usually bright blue eyes, but only finding disgust. He silently cursed himself for agreeing to it, as he knew that he would definitely have to gain back Jake's trust after this here. Turning again to lock eyes with their boss, he went for the bigger turn on, trying his best to sound as smug as possible.

"I wanna have Jake… I wanna lick him and suck him… and slick him up… I want him to fill me up so good while I'll suck you down my throat." He knew how much Chris enjoyed the dirty talk, knew it got him all hot and bothered, hoping that the faster his boss would cum, the faster this whole scenario would be over.

Chris arched a brow, but nodded his head nonetheless, holding up his hand to the young brunette with a sick grin.

"Then… your wish is my command."

Mike instantly knew what Chris wanted, leaning forward to suck two of the digits into his mouth, mimicking what he wanted to do to Jake's throbbing length later on, swirling his tongue around them and bopping his head up and down, slicking them up with his saliva, all the while his eyes closing and pretending it was that delicious, thick piece of meat he was sucking on.

After a minute Chris decided it was enough, slipping his digits out of Mike's mouth and running them down the younger mans back while glancing over his shoulder and motioning Jake to come over and position himself in front of Mike. Holding the brunette's head down with his other hand, he gesticulated Jake to take a step forward before sliding his digits up and down the crack of Mike's ass, giving special attention to the tiny red hole.

Mike could not suppress the moan escaping his lips as the fingers slowly circled the sensitive flesh, looking up into the eyes of his younger lover, begging him with his eyes to play along. Before Jake did anything else, he leaned down far enough to press his lips onto Mike's, gently tucking in his upper lip and giving it a light nipple before raising up again, their gaze never breaking as he aligned himself with those full, kiss-swollen lips. Mike's mouth opened willingly, letting his lover slide his thick length in between his lips, making sure to rake his teeth over the sensitive shaft on its way in.

Fascinated by the show the two were putting on; Chris almost forgot his own task. Shaking himself back into reality, he pushed Mike's head further down, making the younger man gag on Jake's meaty length before roughly pushing one of his fingers inside the tight, hot walls, groaning at the feeling of the gripping his single digit so firmly.

The cry escaping Mike's throat reverberated right through Jake's cock, the blond trying his hardest not to buck his hips as Mike slowly relaxed his throat, taking him deeper inch by inch, the soft fingers curling in his hair, raking through it soothing him while Chris' finger started to work in and out of him roughly.

He was used to being taken like that, knew that Chris was never gentle with him or anyone else for that matter, knew how to shut the pain out, and once again was thankful that Jake had not left. That way he could concentrate on the feeling of his lovers throbbing length slowly sliding in and out of his moist caverns while looking deep into his eyes.

"Hmmm… so tight Mikey boy… I wonder how you stay that fucking tight with Jakey-boy fucking you every night. That hole of yours is truly a miracle…"

Both lovers suppressed the urge to gag at the comment, concentrating just on one another as Mike bopped his head up and down, tongue swirling around his blonde's pulsing length, his hands tightly holding onto the muscular thighs while Chris added a second finger, shoving them into him roughly. Jake really wanted to kill Chris at the moment, but knew that Mike had agreed for a reason… and what Mike wanted from him, he got.

Closing his eyes, the young blond let his other senses take over, feeling Mike's groans reverberate through his thick length, feeling those pearly white teeth raking over his sensitive flesh, that skilled tongue lapping at the head every time he got to the tip, listening to the slurping noises his lover made, the groans and moans escaping his lips going right through his cock.

Chris' took it up a notch, crooking his fingers a little to hit that one spot of Mike that he knew would make him enjoy it, the young man almost jumping a little as he felt the sweet bundle of nerves being rubbed, a low moan emitting from deep in his throat. Pushing onto Mike's shoulder with his other hand, the blond let the young man sink to his knees, keeping his fingers hooked deep inside of him all the while, his eyes focusing on the ecstatic features of Jake, making him even harder.

He had to admit that even though he hated that guy with everything he had, he looked damn hot, especially like that: head thrown back in pleasure, lips slightly parted, eyes shut tight, hands fisting Mike's hair while thrusting that thick and long dick into his lover's hot caverns again and again. It almost made Chris want him instead of the brunette.

Soon enough, the both lovers could hear shuffling around and a thumb. Opening his eyes, Jake watched Chris now on his knees, behind his lover, big, sloppy hands tightly holding onto his boys hips as he aligned himself with the tiny red pucker. Letting his hands slide down to Mike's cheeks, he used his thumbs to carefully knead his temples, locking eyes with him again. Mike felt the wet tip sliding up and down his crack, circling his pucker for a while, instantly tensing up but relaxing again as soon as his eyes met the blue orbs of his lover, seeing the warm smile playing on his lips.

Closing his eyes again, Mike took a deep breath through his nose, his fingers digging deep into Jake's thighs as Chris breached the tight ring of muscles in one go, thrusting in to the hilt, his head collapsing forward onto Mike's shoulder. The cry escaping the young mans throat was only muffled by the thick, pulsing cock stuffing his mouth, Jake biting his lip hard to hold himself back as his cock hit the back of Mike's throat.

After only a few moments of letting Mike adjust to his thick girth, Chris gripped onto his shoulders, starting a slow but hard pace, his thick length gliding in deep before pulling it out to the tip again, going harder with every thrust.

Mike stopped his movements on Jake's length for a minute, trying to shut down the pain in his lower back, staring up into the beautiful blue orbs before going back to his task, every snap of Chris' hips in return moving his head further down Jake's length, the whimpers and whines escaping him doing nothing but to turn on his boss even more.

His own length was already painfully hard, screaming for attention, but he knew it was too soon to ask. Closing his eyes again, he blocked out the pain and Chris' grunts and growls, flicking his tongue around Jake's girth before starting to swallow around him, relaxing his throat and tensing again, slurping and suckling, enjoying the unique and salty taste of his lovers flesh.

"Fuck Mikey… so damn tight… so hot… you've no idea how hot, how hard you make me."

Chris' sexual ramblings were ignored, Jake too wrapped up in Mike's heavenly mouth working wonders on him, the pace still agonizingly slowly while Mike just enjoyed the attention his prostate got -no matter who was stabbing it- and the unique smell of arousal from his lover, his pubics tickling his nostrils while his thick length rubbed the back of his throat.

As Chris' thrusts sped up and his grip on Mike's shoulders tightened even more, Mike started to work Jake's dick deeper down his throat, bopping faster, his hands still massaging his lover's thighs.

The blond could feel himself getting closer, those hot walls gripping him tightly, constricting around him, those hot mewling noises the brunette made around Jake's length, the look of pleasure and ecstasy on Jake's face spurting him on to go even deeper, faster, even harder, his fingers sure to leave marks on Mike's shoulders as he hammered into him, throwing his head back.

Before he could reach his peak though, he quickly pulled out of the young man, ignoring the wince that was stifled by the big cock still driving in and out of his throat and squeezing the base of his own erection hard to keep himself from cumming already.

"Hager… switch!"

Jake opened his eyes, letting out a frustrated grunt as Mike pulled away, giving his tip a last tentative lick before locking eyes with the blond, winking and grinning like a Cheshire cat. It definitely made him feel more at ease to know that Mike still somewhat enjoyed this. Looking back up, he met Chris' gaze seeing the jealousy and frustration burn deep in his eyes, feeling brave enough to send him a cocky smirk of his own before helping Mike onto his feet and claiming his lips with his own, never once breaking the eye-contact with their boss as he ravished his mans mouth.

Pulling away again, he ignored the cute little whine emitting from Mike's swollen lips to grin at him, nodding over to the chair.

"Let the old man sit down for the great finale you'll give him, huh?"

Grinning back, Mike nodded his head, hearing the frustrated grunt from Chris, just able to imagine the rage in his eyes as he stomped over to his chair and let himself fall down in it.

"Can we get on with it, now? Or have you already forgotten who the damn boss is here?"

Kissing each other for a last time, Mike whispered against Jake's lips a short "I'll make it up to you" before winking at him and striding over to Chris, sinking back down on his knees between the big thighs of his boss, instantly taking the leaking cock in his hend and stroking it, his eyes locking with the lust-clouded slits of the man he so much despised.

"I'm right here, BOSS… let me take care of you, shall I?"

Before Chris could even answer, Mike had his lips wrapped around his meaty length again, swallowing him down in one go, Chris' hips arching off the cold leather and thrusting into Mike's warm throat. If he had not sensed the movement it might have hurt, but he had relaxed his throat enough to take Chris down to the hilt. He could only feel Jake slowly shuffling into position behind him, could feel his soft fingertips brushing over his hips, shuddering underneath the gentle caress, could feel the precum being spread between his cheeks as Jake rubbed his leaking head up and down the crack.

In one fluid motion, Jake thrusted into his already abused hole until his balls hit the pert cheeks, groaning at the tight heat surrounding him, his eyes closing for a moment to savor the feeling. The intensity of having his lover so deep inside of him, filling him completely made Mike stop his ministrations on their boss, closing his eyes as one hand moved to his stretched hole, finger rubbing around the spot where his lover had just plunged inside of him, moaning lowly.

Chris' growl stayed unnoticed, his hands coming up to fist the brown, ruffed up hair, starting to guide Mike's head up and down his throbbing length again, his hips thrusting up into the warm and moist caverns of his mouth, hissing as Mike decided to add some teeth. Letting his head fall back against the seat, he let go of a loud groan as Mike started to swallow around him.

Jake's hands stayed on Mike's hips, pulling them back into his groin before thrusting forward, rocking his lover with every movement, the tight walls constricting around him, pulling him deeper and deeper, his arousal already high enough from the attention those cock-sucking lips had given him earlier. He knew it would not take long anymore until he reached his peak, hoping that Chris was as close as he was, as his thrusts grew harder, became frantic.

Leaning down to lick a path from Mike's neck up to his ear, he took in the mewling noises his lover made around the stiff cock, took in the shudder running through Mike's body, feeling the muscles of the younger man tense, knowing he was close, too.

Taking it up a notch, he angled his thrusts just right, hitting his lovers sweet spot dead on, the loud cry of pleasure, even though muffled by Chris' length, reverberating through the young's body. Jake's hand slithered finally down to the neglected cock, taking it between his fingers, starting to pump it fast and hard while rocking his hips into him.

The loud scream echoed through the office, spurts and spurts off cum shooting out of Mike's cock as he shuddered violently, his ass-muscles clenching down on Jake, the vibrations slithering through Chris' length making the older blond thrust even harder, almost ravishing Mike's throat before he shot forward, folding in two as he released his sticky ribbons into Mike's hot mouth with a loud growl, the younger man swallowing each and every drop while trying to keep himself upright, his own hips still bucking wildly as Jake's tight fist milked him off every last drop.

It only took a few more thrusts, those hot walls tightening around him, spasming, the slurping sounds of his lover, the contorted face of Chris and the heavy smell of arousal finally setting him off as his hips started to buck furiously into his lover, filling him to the brim as the grip on his hips tightened and he collapsed forward into Mike's back, biting down into his shoulder to stifle his scream, eyes fluttering shut.

Kneeling, spent and panting, the aroma of sweat mixing with the scent of release, their heart-beats slowly returning to normal, Mike let the limp cock slide out of his mouth and tilted his head around enough to capture Jake's lips in a sweet kiss, the disgust of tasting Chris' seed on his lovers lips soon turning into a pleased groan, letting the younger man dominate the kiss.

Zipping himself up again, Chris' eyes stayed locked on the couple, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he watched them embrace. Even though he could not have Mike anymore, this little stunt had definitely been worth it… and after all… he had never agreed to stay away from Jake, had he?

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**Reviews please! I give you an Evan-muse! At least if my muses haven't killed him yet.**


	6. Encounters

**A/N: Happy us. Last Chapter got tons of reviews and we both love you for this. They were all left at legacyChick and I'd like to get some too *pouting*. Updates might come a bit slower from now on since LegacyChick's "paid vacation" is over and she's back to work again. I'm also writing loads of one-shots, or at least starting the and trying to finish them. **

**We still have loads of ideas for this story here and I'm pretty sure it'll take forever to write them all down. We would say we're sorry for the chapters being that long, but we aren't. It's really tough to keep them shorter when you've so many things planned. This chapter takes place between 11pm (the day the last chapter ended) and 10am the next day.**

**To answer a few questions/comments in the reviews. Carlos is indeed Carlito. And we do not think Jericho is the dirty little bastard he is in this story. We do not think he's either fat or disgusting, quite the opposite. He's one fine piece of man.**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing but our INsanity... and a few muses. We just killed an Evan muse though... or rather Cena and Sheamus did and LegacyChick didn't say no. Jeri is very pissed now, he kinda liked Evan and wants revenge. Stopping him from killing Cena is hard, and sometimes I just don't care. **

**Warning: Slash, Violence, Drugs, Cursing (lots of).**

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**Chapter 6 Encounters**

It was already late evening as Cody was just getting ready to lock the door to the lab. It had been a more than eventful two days and he was overly exhausted. Just wanting to sleep, wanting to relax, wanting to close his eyes and drift off. He was just about to turn the key around when a heavy hand pressed against the door, pushing it open. Swallowing hard, Cody took a step back, hiding behind the heavy iron-door, silently preying for someone to come down and help him.

He was sure it had to be an intruder, one of their enemies, someone who wanted to either rob them or to kill them. Who else would show up here at fucking 11 pm? Closing his eyes, he tried to stay still, tried to hold his breath, tried to make no noise at all, bracing himself for the worst.

The large palm on his cheek startled him massively, eyes flying wide open at the soft touch, gasping as his soft, blue eyes met the ones of Randy, the older mans brow arched, a slight smirk on his lips as he tried to stifle a chuckle.

"Codes? Where you… where you trying to hide or something?"

Glaring at his boss, his lover, his… boyfriend? He still was not so sure if he could use that description, but yeah… glaring at him, he huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he let out a long breath.

"Am not… I was just… I was… uhmmm…"

Another chuckle left Randy's lips, this time louder and heartedly, shaking his head before his expression grew serious again, a soft smile playing on his lips as he leaned down to place a short kiss on the brunette's pouting lips.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to… well… scare you."

Again, he could not keep himself from chuckling; the younger mans hand connecting with his chest as he playfully smacked him, looking up at him through fluttering lashes.

"Not funny… What if someone really would come in here to… to rub us… or hurt us… or even worse… to kill me? I don't have a weapon here, hell… I don't even know how to use one… and I'm not really the strongest of them all when it comes to fighting."

Randy's face softened again, instantly regretting that he had made fun of the brunette, reaching out his arms to pull him into a tight embrace, kissing the younger mans forehead as he murmured.

"Sorry… I really didn't mean to scare you… and… about the weapon… I'll buy you one, okay? And teach you how to use it."

The thought of his Cody getting killed, getting shot or stabbed or raped or even just hurt by some of those psycho goons running around in the district had been enough for Randy to grow serious, to feel a searing pain in his heart, to alter the decision he had made years ago: to never let Cody use a gun, to never let him learn how to use one, to keep him weak, keep him away from the power that came with a gun. He had never wanted Cody to get stronger than him since it had already always nagged him that the boy was a lot smarter. He did not want the young brunette to out do him one day. But… seeing that the situation had changed now, that he had realized he needed the younger man, that he could not live without him… he would definitely take care of him.

"You serious?"

Cody looked up at him with his brows arched, deep blue eyes wide, lips slightly parted in a silent "Aw" as Randy chuckled again, nodding his head before leaning down to brush his lips over his lovers, gently nibbling at the full bottom lip as he murmured.

"Told you… anything for you. Can't have you… leave me… now that I've finally got you, right?"

The grin on Cody's lips as he pulled away matched one of a three year old at Christmas; his eyes sparkling as his hands gently caressed the line between Randy's neck and hair. Growing fonder, he pressed his hips against the older man, running his tongue teasingly over his lips before smacking them together.

"Hmmm… nope… you can't do that."

Grinding against each other for a while, just getting lost into each others eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating between them, they did not even recognize the other brunette sneaking inside –the heavy door still open since Cody got distracted before being able to lock it.

Mike had seen the two, wanting nothing more than to just run off again, not even in the slightest interested in facing Randy, not now nor never again, trying his dearest not to make any noise while creeping past them, almost making it to the stairs when little Teddy suddenly showed up, rubbing himself against the brunette's leg with a loud mewl.

Randy's head shot towards him in an instant, his lips turning up in a snarl as his eyes lowered their gaze on Mike, heated, raged, almost furious again, but the soft tuck on his arms made him remember who he was with right now… and what he had actually come for. He had not made his way to the lab because of Cody… well, not JUST because of him, but he wanted to keep his promise and apologize to Mike even though it was against everything he ever stood for.

The brunette flinched, silently cursing the kitten for getting the mans attention with her damn mewling as he swallowed hard, returning Randy's gaze as stern as possible though the sweat on his forehead clearly showed his nervousness, his fear. He was no one to back down, no one to get scared easily, surely no one to be weak, but what had happened yesterday with Randy… it did not only make Mike hate him even more, it also made him fear Randy even more.

The soft, warm palm rubbed up and down Randy's arm, the older mans expression clearly changing into a softer one again as he took a deep breath, letting go of a long sigh before he locked eyes with Cody again, seeing the pleading look he gave him, his lashes fluttering against his feminine cheekbones, his full, smooth lips curled up into that oh so sweet pout Randy could not resist and he instantly felt himself relaxing again. After nodding his head towards his boy, Randy turned to his prey again, closing his eyes for a second to go over what he wanted to say one last time.

In the exact moment, the door behind them opened again and all eyes snapped towards the blond walking inside, at first not even recognizing them as he seemed to be deep in thought. It was not before Randy let go of a low growl that Ted looked up from the floor, spotting the dark-tanned man with his arms wrapped tightly around Cody's lithe frame, a twitch of jealousy bolding through him. Turning his gaze away from them again since his heart just could not stand the sight of Cody in another mans arms, his eyes took in the sweaty form of Mike, body slightly trembling as the little kitten curled around his legs, Mike's eyes showing him something he had never before seen from the young man: fear.

His alarm-bells started ringing just in that moment, taking some quick steps towards him. Even though the young punk often treated him with disrespect, made a joke out of him, made fun of him and his religious believes, Ted knew when someone was in danger and he was not anyone to just run away. As he was close enough to Mike, he could instantly see the young mans muscles relaxing, even hearing a slight sigh of relief escaping his lips as Ted positioned himself only a few feet away from him, turning back around to look at Randy and Cody, strong arms crossed in front of his muscular chest.

He knew, he had not to fear anything from Randy. They had been friends ever since they were young; Randy had never raised a hand against him even though he suspected that he had often wanted to. Surely, he was nothing like Cody, definitely not meaning half as much to their boss as the young nymph, but he knew with what he could get away and with what not.

Cody was the first to break the tense silence in the room, clearing his throat as he exchanged glances with Randy and Mike, trying to block out that Ted was there, too. Right now it was not about his sexual needs and cravings, it was about his love and his best friend. Squeezing Randy's hand again, he made the older man look down at him, Randy's eyes softening as they stared into those deep blue seas of emotions.

"Randy…" The young brunette nodded his head towards Mike, smiling up at him though it looked a little forced. "Go ahead… don't you have something to say to Mike?"

The low growl reverberating from Randy's throat made Mike tense again, his whole body numb and cold as he was waiting for what his boss had to say… for what he might do. Surely he wouldn't touch him in front of Cody and Ted, but still… he had a bad feeling about this whole situation.

Ted watched the silent exchange between Randy and Cody with great interest. Something had changed between the two dark-haired men, they acted more caring, more loving to each other now and he silently cursed himself for even realizing such a thing. He should not care about it, should not feel that kind of jealousy, those kind of things towards another man at all.

Randy took a deep breath, forcing his gaze away from Cody as he locked eyes with Mike, smirking slightly as he saw the younger man tremble, his eyes blazed with fear and fright, the sweta on his forehead. It was good to know the boy was still scared shitless by him, the boy had learned his lesson finally. He turned his gaze towards Ted again, wondering why exactly the Southern boy had taken Mike's side, where he had been that late on a Sunday evening. He knew the boy went to bed at incredible early hours every day. You could barely see him outside of his room after the sunset, besides when he had a job to do.

Shaking those thoughts aside –he would ask Ted another time about it- Randy took another huge breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Cody knew that it was not Randy's way to apologize to anyone, especially not if the older man thought he had not done anything wrong. So he gave him the time to collect himself, his thoughts before opening his lips again to nudge Randy on, but Randy's lashes fluttered opne the exact same moment, his movements telling Cody to stay silent as Randy turned fully towards Mike.

"I'm sorry."

Mike's eyes widened as he took in those simple three words, as he took in the change in Randy's expression, the remorse in his eyes and the seriousness in his features. Did his boss just apologize to him? For what? Why? Randy Orton did not apologize to anyone EVER… well, except to Cody maybe.

Ted's brows furrowed as he studied his friends expressions. He'd known Randy since they were kids and when the dark-tanned man had apologized to Cody last evening it had been the first time ever that he had heard the words leave Randy's mouth… but him saying it to Mike was incredulous, so unbelievable that he had to pinch himself for a second there.

"I'm sorry for what happened yesterday… and… for everything else. It won't happen again."

Still unsure of what to say, and quite honestly not trusting his voice, Mike could only manage a small nod, staring at Randy in disbelief. Clearly he must have been dreaming.

The young brunette could feel Randy's muscles tensing and bulging under his touch with every word he had spoken, could see the shaking in his hands, could even hear the resemblance in his lovers voice, but he was proud that Randy had made that step. Maybe there was really some hope left for him?

Turning back towards Cody, Randy's jaw clenched, a hiss escaping his thin-formed lips as his eyes clouded darkly. "There… you've got it… can I go again?... … Please?"

Cody could not help but smile at him, getting up on his toes to press a soft kiss to Randy's lips, one hand running through his boss' shaven hair, the other one firmly holding onto Randy's hand. He pulled away, nodding his head, feeling the jerk of Randy's arm under his touch and finally letting go of the older man, eyes staying fixed on his body as he stormed out of the lab, the cursing under his breath clearly audible to all three of them left.

* * *

Mike was pale as a ghost and stumbled on his legs after what just happened. No fucking way that Randy had just apologized to him… apologized for what exactly? For almost killing him? For raping him? And did he hear it right that Randy said it would not happen again? Damn right, it would not. The next time that creep would put his hands on him, he was dead. Mike cursed loudly.

In addition, that look in Randy's eyes… a look of remorse, a look he had never seen before. Either he had been hallucinating or Randy was getting better in his acting-skills, because there was no way that Randy had really meant it. Randy Orton would never apologize for anything, especially not to him, not after how he had been to him yesterday, after how he had treated him, touched him and abused him. The real Randy, the psycho, the monster he had experienced yesterday sure as hell was not sorry.

And fucking Ted witnessed it; saw how scared he was for Randy, fucking protected him. He should be grateful, but how would he ever get his dominance over angel-boy back.

He raked his hands through his hair. He needed a drink, he needed to get away from here and get stinking drunk.

He stumbled into his room where we had left Jake watching TV, when he went down to the lab to get something. He had no idea anymore what he went down for in the first place.

Jake was so focussed on the program that he did not hear Mike come in. Mike stared at his lover, taking in the handsome features, the strong body, the small smile on his face and more than anything he wanted to crawl in those strong arms and let Jake hold him until everything was back to how it should be. However, he could not; he could not be weak in front of Jake; he could not let things between them change so fast; he should not need Jake this much. So he manned up.

He took a few deep breaths, pushed everything he was worrying about to the back of his mind and walked up to the blond that he kissed deeply and passionately. Jake reacted by pulling Mike on his lap and holding him tight. For a minute or so, Mike forgot about everything, it was the only comfort he allowed himself.

"I'm going out, Jakey. Wanna come?"

Jake pulled a face and kissed Mike again. "Can't we just stay in for the night? If you're bored, I know a thing or two to entertain you with."

His hands trailed up and down Mike's back. Mike shook his head grinning.

"I bet you do… but I just need to get out of this building right now."

Jake looked at the pain that crossed the elder man's face. He could see Mike was trying to hide it and knew better then to ask.

An hour later, they were at the pub. Mike was slamming back shots with a group of old friends, while Jake sat by the bar, sipping his beer and keeping an eye on their surroundings. His eyes focussed on a familiar figure, which he could not quite identify. The tall, muscled man had long messy blond hair; he was dressed in faded jeans, black boots and a tight t-shirt. Something about his face rung a bell, he was sure he had seen that big chin somewhere before. He signaled Louis and nodded into the direction of the man.

"Who's that?"

Louis grinned. "Someone your boss wouldn't be too happy to see. The name Adam Copeland ring a bell?"

"A cop right?"

"Yep… and an old buddy of Irvine. They used to be in business together, until Adam's parents straightened him out and he came back as a cop some five years later. The first thing he did was get Chris into jail and he almost had him again, just before you and your buddy joined Irvine. I haven't seen him in this district for years, but you'd better look out. Things between him and Chris are personal and it wouldn't surprise me if Adam's back just for him."

Jake grinned. This was very, very interesting. He would make sure this information got to Mike, but he was not so sure it would also go to Chris. After what happened this morning he was out for revenge and however much he would enjoy killing him, seeing Chris end up in jail would be infinite more rewarding. He shook hands with Louis, a hundred dollar bill changing hands at the same time. They paid this man handsomely for his information, at the same time buying his silence.

The door swung open and two men entered. Jake scowled. The larger of the two meant trouble. Mike hated this guy more than he hated anyone, and if he noticed him, it would turn into a fight, or worse. Jake had no trouble with seeing Mike beat someone up and would be more than happy to do it himself, but with a cop around things like that were bound to get attention and that was the one thing Jake and Mike didn't need. It would not take too much effort to find out that Mike and he worked for Chris, so it was important to keep a low profile.

A glance on Mike made clear he had not seen the men come in yet. He was laughing and yet again slamming another shot back. More than anything he wished to know what pain Mike was trying to drown. However, whatever it was, the booze seemed to help. Still, it would be wise to warn Mike of the presence of his archenemy.

"Mike?"

The hand on his shoulder and the sound of his name made Mike jump. The alcohol had not lessened his tension yet. He only relaxed when he glanced over his shoulder and saw it was Jake.

"Jakey… whas up? I'm drinkin' Wan sum?"

He held up the bottle of booze that he and his buddies were drinking and pouted when he saw it was almost empty. He brought the bottle to his lips and drained the last bit in one huge sip. Droplets of liquor rolled down his chin and Jake had to resist licking them off. Mike felt the eyes of his lover on his face and knew exactly what Jake was thinking. He licked his lips and grinned up to Jake, wiping his mouth clean with his sleeve.

"Is up… Gimme more!"

Jake nodded patiently. Mike would not be much fun for him when he was like that and tomorrow his mood would only be fouler. Life would be a lot easier if Mike would just talk about what was bothering him instead of trying to burry it or drown it. Nevertheless, it were small things to put up with compared to all the good things Mike gave him.

"Mike… John is here."

"Wha! Where's that sjon of a bitchj?"

Jake nodded in the direction of the far end of the bar, where the longhaired bitch stood with his arm around his much smaller companion.

"And he's got himsjelf a boy… well… I'll just kill them both."

Mike was ready to dart off in the direction of the men, a huge scowl on his face, ready to take all his frustration out on the man that had been bothering him since they were both kids. Little rich kid had nothing to do here. He should stay in his own part of town. The firm hand on his shoulder kept him in place. In his drunken state, it took him some time to figure out why he was not getting closer. He looked up to Jake, trying to get out of the vicelike grip before giving up.

"There's a cop here… punching John into bloody pulp without a good reason isn't the best idea."

"Ow…. Shit… But I've a good reas'n… jus' look at him." Mike pouted at Jake, who still had not released him.

"You stay here and have fun Mikey… I'll get you new booze… and we'll find a way to get him later."

"Promisj?"

"Promise!"

Ten minutes later Mike was again happily drinking and Jake felt finally able to relax a little bit, leaning back in his seat and resisting his urge to close his eyes and fall asleep. He must have done just that, cause he startled awake when a firm body pressed up to him and a hand moved up and down on his thigh. Thinking it was Mike, he enjoyed the touch for a while.

"Long time no see Jakey. Have you finally escaped the clutches of my dear friend Mizanin?"

Jake's eyes flew open, staring into the muddy browns of John Hennigan. He pushed the man back with so much force he fell down the floor, taking some bar stools with him on the way down. A second later John was on his feet again, helped up by his boyfriend who stared at Jake with big, scared eyes.

"Ah, Jakey… no need to act like this. We're old friends aren't we? I just had a proposition for you."

"Not interested!"

"How can you say that if you haven't even heard me out."

Jake had to resist gagging as he saw the way the brunette checked him out.

"You know… Mizanin is screwing around behind your back. You know that don't you? That's all the little bitch is good for, screwing everyone so he gets what he wants. I don't see why anyone would want a guy like him. Just look at him… he's fat and ugly… A guy like you deserves something better than that. You're pretty hot Jakey. I can give you more than Mike ever could."

Jake huffed and opened his mouth for a reply when Mike suddenly appeared behind John, pulling his head back by his hair forcing him on his knees.

"Ya can't handle a man like Jake, bitsch. Look at yar li'l friend, cowering over there. Where did you find him? Ordered him from a catalogue?"

"You bitch… you wish you had someone like Matt. He's bendy like you can't believe…"

"If you like yar li'l girlfriend so much, why did you come on t' my Jake? I've told you this before… you keep ya fucking hands off him."

Mike tightened his hands even more in the hair, twitching it and making the older man groan from the pain. He planted his knee right in his spine and bended him back against it. Every yank on the hair made John cry out in pain.

"I, Johnny, am so much better then you, that your dumb brain can't even understand it. Stay out off my sight, stay out of my neighborhood or you'll be sorry. And never, ever, touch my Jake again."

He released the man, glared around the bar challenging anyone to do something about it and pulled Jake after him. Though some of his words were still slurred, he had sobered up immediately when he had spotted John all over his man. The pure jealousy and rage had made him.

"We're going home. I'm sick of this… this has been a sick day… I wanna sleep and forget about everything."

* * *

Matthew had trouble keeping his attention on his workout. Several times he had caught himself sitting still as his eyes were glued to the blond running on the treadmill. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the sweat pearling on those well defined abs made him shimmer in the faint light. The arms pumping in the rhythm of his fast pace showed bulging muscles and it didn't take Matthew much imagination to see him naked. Not for the first time he cursed the fact that this gym didn't have communal showers

Nick wasn't aware of the attention he got. He shut everything out when working out and his attention was turned inward to his body. In fact this was the only time of the day that he didn't use; the endorphins that raced through his veins were all the drugs he needed. The rest of the day he tried to mimic exactly this high.

He took a sip of his water, spilling a little and Matthew followed those drops from his mouth to the waistband of his sweatpants. What he wouldn't give to lick exactly that path down Nick's body and then beyond that. He had no doubt that Nick was formed as perfectly beneath his pants as the rest of his body. What had started as a spying mission in order to win favor by his bosses had quickly ended up in a unhealthy, one-sided crush until Nick was the only thing he thought about. That Nick was said to be completely straight didn't bother him in the least. Matthew had enormous confidence in his abilities to get everyone in his bed that he wanted to. The word 'no' was one he was unfamiliar to, or at least one he ignored every time he heard it.

A harsh push against his shoulder brought him back to reality. He looked up to see a blond punk in his late thirties scowling at him.

"I've been waiting for this thing for 30 minutes. Fuck off if you're not using it."

Matthew let his eyes travel down the man's body, taking in the bulging stomach, the slightly fat thighs, the floppy upper arms and with one fluent motion he stood up and pointed at the bench, pulling his lips in a demeaning sneer.

"Go ahead. You need it a lot more than I do."

He grinned at how fast the man turned beet-red, the veins pumping on his forehead, the fists clenching. Sending the man one final smirk, he turned around to man the treadmill next to Nick that was finally free, when a large, meaty hand clamped his shoulder, yanking him around, until they stood nose to nose.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU DIRTY LITTLE FAGGOT?"

"I said… that since I look like a greek god, and you look like a hippo, you need that bench more than I do."

Most of the people in the gym had turned their attention to the fight. Nick was still running but had a huge smile on his face as he saw who his friend had a confrontation with. He wondered if Matthew had any idea who he was dealing with.

"DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

Still smirking Zack shook his head. Nothing about this man impressed him. "Nope… Should I?"

This pissed the blond off even more. He couldn't believe that their were people in town that didn't know who he was, that didn't worship every step he took.

"Could you get your fat, dirty hands of me now? I have a workout to do… and so do you, if you can move with all that weight you're carrying around."

This was too much for the blond and he pulled his hand back to show the annoying little punk who was boss. He swung wildly only to meet thin air and it made him lose his balance so he fell on the floor. Matthew started laughing and most of the spectators joined in. Nick had come from his treadmill to pull his friend away. Matthew got a mild shock from the hand of Nick that curled around his biceps, the heat of it making his way straight for his cock. Willingly he followed Nick to the dressing room, not being to ab;e to resist shouting a last insult over his shoulder.

"If you're at it… there's a barber across the street. You might want to go there, maybe they can do something about that raccoon on your head"

Nick almost pissed himself with laughter, but was careful not to show it to the fuming blond that still lay crumbled on the floor. He didn't want to get into trouble. Only when they reached the locker room he allowed himself to laugh out loud, throwing his head in his neck, tears in his eyes.

"Why did you get me out? I could have easily taken him." In his head he already had fantasies of Nick pushing him up against the wall and stripping him naked. Nick collapsing in laughter didn't fit that image.

Nick wiped the tears from his face. "You really have no idea who that was?"

Matthew shook his head, "No… why does everyone think I should? I mean if he was important he should at least look the part."

"Ever heard of Chris Irvine?"

Matthew thought hard, "Isn't he that expired rock singer, from that band with that stupid name? Elmo or something?"

Nick was still chuckling. "Fozzy… yeah that's him… the guy also happens to be my boss."

"Your boss? I thought that was that cute brunette, that always has that hunky blond trailing after him, Mike I believe? And what's his name… that scary one, that's so insanely hot?"

"Orton you mean." Nick was careful not to say anything about the relation between Mike, Randy and Chris. Mike would kill him for that, though he might like that others thought he was running the place. And as far as Nick saw it, he did. He had never actually seen Chris or Randy do anything beside getting stoned and fucking their employees.

"So if you got into a fight with him, I would've been forced to defend him. And you might be able to handle him… but can you take me?"

Matthew stared at the blond, not believing he just made that insinuation. He took a few steps closer to Nick, trapping him between his body and the wall.

"Oh yeah… I can take you… anywhere you want…"

Nick's face crumbled in disgust and he pushed the younger male away with force. "How many times do I need to remind you that I'm not gay? Why does everyone always try to get into my pants?"

"'Cause you're so freaking hot." Matthew still didn't give up, his eyes glued to the sculpted body in front of him.

The blond stretched, giving the other another good look on his body. He hadn't forgotten Mike's order to make Matthew trust him blindly. Men were a lot easier to seduce than women; with women you had to pretend to listen and buy them drinks. Sometimes he thought it would be easier to be gay; he could screw Runnels for all the drugs he wanted, Matthew for the info he needed, Chris to move up in the ranks. But only the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He hoped that Mike wouldn't order him to actually sleep with Matthew. Knowing the screwed mind of his boss, that was exactly what would happen if he found out that Matthew was coming on to him.

"I am, aren't I?" He admired himself in the mirror, raking his hands through his slicked back, bleached hair. The only thing he didn't like about himself was his tan. For some reason he didn't get it the right shade. He looked jealous at the beautiful brown tint of the other.

Matthew interpreted that look a little different than it was meant. "You like what you see don't you… just admit it."

Nick looked up from untying his shoes and nodded. "I have always wanted to ask you… how do you get your tan like that? Whatever I do, I turn out slightly orange."

Matthew pulled a face at this answer, thinking that Nick was playing hard to get. "I'll show you… but for that you own me a favor."

Nick nodded. "Sure man, no problem."

With that words he grabbed his towel and walked to the shower, locking the door behind him. Both man had similar smiles on their faces; both of them thinking they had the other where he wanted him. Nick was sure that Mike would be happy with him and would check what information he needed to feed Matthew. Matthew on the other hand was still hesitating if he would use the favor for sex or get the info he wanted to impress his own bosses.

To his surprise Matthew was waiting for him outside the gym. This brought him in a difficult position. He was ordered to go back to the lab this morning, not that he knew why… and Mike didn't like waiting. On the other hand, showing Matthew where the lab was, was not an option, neither was taking the risk of him following him.

"Wanna grab some breakfast together?' The blond with the spiky hair asked.

Nick hesitated, looking at his watch, but he shrugged as soon as his companion held up a joint. He never said no to free drugs. On their way to their favorite hangout spot Matthew kept coming on to him, flirting, touching him, trying to throw his arm around him, until Nick was pretty close to just knocking him out.

No matter how annoying it was, he didn't appreciate the way he was saved from Matthew's unwanted attentions. Before he realized what was going on, two huge men stood right in front of them, causing Matthew to jump away from Nick with a soft squeal. Both of the men stared at Nick as lion's staring at their pray, even licking their lips.

"So Mattie… This is the guy you've been having all those wet dreams about." The smallest of the two walked around Nick, nodding appreciative and giving Nick a firm slap on his ass. "You're not really my type, blondie… but if Mattie wants you I don't mind you joining us."

Nick cringed trying to get away from Curt, but when he bolted forwards he bumped into Koslov. A menacing growl left the Russian's lips, pushing Nick away again, so bumping right into Hawkins. Nick was staring to enjoy this less and less and wondered if Matthew had set him up. His so-called friend was obviously screwing Hawkins.

"We don't have time for this Curt. Hunter'll kill us when we're late for Mr. Jacobs."

Nick didn't miss the annoyed look on Hawkins' face and the quick gesture he shushed him with. If he would survive this, he might have something interesting to tell and that would mean more drugs. He pulled his face back into a dumb and terrified expression. Not that he needed to fake that last thing; Koslov was towering over him again, causing Nick to almost piss his pants.

"You got any drugs on you, blondie?"

Nick shook his head wildly, feeling very relieved he had sold the last bit yesterday morning and that he had been too lazy to go back and get more. He had enjoyed a free day instead. Koslov grabbed his gym bag and threw the contents on the street. Matthew thought about protesting and sticking up for Nick, but a strong arm around his waist held him back.

"No Mattie, this is none of your business. Be glad we won't mention to Hunter that you've been hanging out with the competition."

Another protest was smothered beneath a passionate kiss that made Nick slightly sick to his stomach from watching it. Instead he looked back to his belongings that were now spread on the dirty street. Koslov gave the bag one final kick, before turning back to him.

"If I see you talking to our little bitch one more time, you're dead."

With that words he pushed Nick hard, making him sprawl down on the floor, before they stalked off, dragging Matthew behind them. Matthew looked back, throwing him an apologetic look, shrugging to sign that he had nothing to do with this.

* * *

The streets were full with businessmen on their way to work, with druggies still slurping through the alleys, left-overs from the night on the sidewalks, empty beer-cans, cigarettes, puke. The district was a mix of the best and the worst, bad and good, dirty and shiny. The sun had just risen as the tall, raven-haired man stood in front of the large brick-building, once again taking a glimpse at the scrambled paper in his hand to make sure it was the right address. Looking up at the building and a last time down on the paper, he shrugged, his eyes quickly taking in his surroundings to check for followers, for enemies, for thieves. He was used to look out for himself, to make sure no one was watching him, his brain having filtered each and everyone of the guys he'd ever seen in this business, no matter if it had been in the news, the papers or eye-to-eye. Nodding to himself, small smirk on his lips, he quickly skipped into the building and went through the hall-way to the backyard. Scanning his surroundings a last time, he walked outside into the alley, the smell of coffee already invading the backyard re-assuring him that it must be the right place. He walked towards the big iron-door, silently as he was trained to, another look-around making sure he was alone before he knocked on the heavy door.

Cody jumped when he heard the soft knocking on the door. He had arrived only moments ago, and was dozing at his desk with a huge mug of steaming coffee in his hands. The shock made him spill coffee all over his desk and his precious formulas. He cursed and ran to the kitchen to clean up the mess, the knocking already forgotten. A few minutes later slightly louder knocking was heard, followed by an "hello" in a harsh English accent.

Cody bit his lip, deciding to ignore the knot of panic that had taken over his stomach and looked around for a weapon. Of course their was nothing; no gun, no knife, not even something he could use as a club. With shaking legs he opened the door a tiny bit, staring up at the huge man on the other side of the door. The man looked like personified danger and Cody was sure he wouldn't survive the next few minutes.

Barrett stared surprised at the terrified kid that had opened the door. Huge blue eyes stared at him and he needed to resist patting him on his head and telling all would be okay. Suddenly Cody remembered Jake's and Mike's lessons. Never show your fear; feel big, feel strong, feel in charge and that is what you are. Barrett's eyes went big as the young man suddenly changed. He pulled himself up to his full hight, straightened his back, squared his shoulders and his eyes, that had been scared and cute a moment ago, now became cold as ice. He smirked when he realized the potential in this lad and he would put all his money on the guess that Mizanin had been teaching him.

"What do you want?" Even the boy's voice had a ring of steel in it now.

Barrett's smirk grew as he looked down at him, suppressing the urge to chuckle at just the image of him. It was clear that he was terrified, he knew it and everyone else who would have walked in, would have seen it, too. It was a little late to change his behavior now, but he respected that the boy at least had the guts to try and intimidate him.

"Barrett... I've been told to be here at 7."

Cody blinked a few times, taking the guy's appearance in. So this was obviously the man Mike had so highly talked about. He could see it, could see what Mike saw in the man: large, muscular, thick black hair, intimidating drawl in his voice, the nose a hint to the fights he'd been in in his past. He was clearly impressed. Nodding his head, Cody waved his hand as a gesture for Barrett to follow him inside. Quickly scanning the backyard again, he closed the door behind them, locking it securely in its hinges before turning toward the man now standing in the middle of the room. *Nice ass* Cody smirked to himself as he walked back over to his desk, letting himself fall back down in his chair, his eyes never leaving their new man, studying his expressions, his frame. Wade felt the boring gaze on him, but ignored it for now as he took in his surroundings. From the looks of it, all the cupboards, the machines, the shelfs and the blackboard in the corner of the room, this clearly was the lab. The place he'd heard about so often before, but no one knew where it was... well, until now.

He felt it as a huge trust that he was giving the secret address so quickly. Either these guys where stupid, or they knew how to read someone. From what he had seen of Mike, Jake and now this little guy, no one seemed stupid. Well, Wade wasn't about to betray their trust. He looked forward to working with Jake and under Mike. He had the feeling his life would be a lot less boring from now on. He wondered if the boy here would also be interested in helping him with that. But things like that could wait. First he needed to get a feeling of the place, of the people and of the relationships between them.

"Mizanin's not here yet?"

The brunette shook his head. "Mike's never up this early."

He thought about going upstairs and waking Mike, but he didn't trust the guy enough to leave him in his lab alone.

"I'm Cody by the way." He stood up to shake his new co-worker's hand. "I make the good stuff."

"Wade... I hit people's heads in."

Cody chuckled. He understood why Jake liked this guy so much and he really started laughing as he anticipated on how Ted was gonna react to having another murderous, remorseless bastard to work with. Wade's brows arched up at Cody's sudden outburst, tilting his head to the side a bit, watching the young brunette almost double over as he was holding his stomach, shaking his head.

"Something funny, lad?"

Cody just grinned at him, smacking his lips as he straightened up again.

"Just... never mind. You'll probably find out later today what I was laughing about. Want a coffee? Water?"

Barrett was still a bit taken aback at Cody's change, but nonetheless nodded at him. "Coffee sounds good. I'm not really that much of a morning-person. I rather work at night."

As Cody walked over to the kitchen, Wade's eyes followed him intensely, taking in the cute little ass, the strong back, the bulging muscles in the young mans thighs; licking his lips. Suddenly his eyes fell onto the little bundle of fur laying on the kitchen-cabinet, curled together into a ball as its tail flicked back and forth.

"You've a cat in your lab?"

The thick accent shown through again, going straight to Cody's groin as he tried to remain nonchalant, not daring to turn around, pouring them both a cup of coffee.

"Yeah... why? You've a problem with it?"

"Not really a problem... just an allergy."

As to underline that he sneezed loudly, causing Teddy to jump off his sleeping place and under a chair. With big green eyes he stared at the intruder of his kingdom, slightly hissing. Both Cody and Wade looked amused at the kitten, that in his turn looked a little embarrassed and started to wash his paw. As they both looked up again, smiles on their faces, they took in the lust on the face of the other.

"So, what can you tell me about the business?"

Wade was desperate to get his thoughts on saver grounds; the last thing he wanted was to be caught fucking this kid on his first day of work, not until he knew who else this boy was doing. But as he focussed on Cody's face again, he couldn't help noticing the almost feminine beauty of the kid, the thick lashes, the fuck me eyes and most of all those full, pouty lips that looked to be made to fit around his dick. Cody grinned when he saw what the effect was he had on Wade. He never had a trouble using his looks, he had done that since he was a little kid that learned how to pout.

He shrugged as he sauntered back over to his desk, coffee in his hand and smirk on his lips.

"Well... as you already know we need a third man cause there are people out there who... let's say... who don't like us. We had some trouble with two goons who thought they were funny stealing drugs from us and threatening one of our couriers, but Teddy and Jake have taken care of them."

He hopped onto his desk, licking the drops of coffee from his lips, keeping eye-contact with the older man.

"Teddy, huh?" Cody could clearly see the interest in Wade now, the arched brow, the slight smirk playing on his lips, the crossed arms in front of his chest.

"Well... Ted for you. I'm the only one allowed to call him Teddy."

His smirk grew as he took in the confusion, the curiousness in Wade's eyes. Stretching a bit, making sure his shirt rose up high enough to reveal his hiplines, he yawned, Wade's groin instantly jumping to life as he imagined that wide, wet warmth of the boys mouth around his now pulsing dick. Quickly shaking those thoughts off, his eyes searching for something else that could be interesting, he changed the topic again.

"What about the big bosses? Irvine and Orton? anything you can tell me that I haven't already heard on the streets?"

"What have you heard on the streets?"

Cody was curious now. He didn't have much friends beside Mike, Ted and Randy and sometimes he felt all three of them only fed him the information they wanted. He realized that if he used Wade the right way, he might have his own little spy outside. It wouldn't surprise him if Mike or Chris would want Barrett into their beds, so he was determined to beat them to it and make Wade his loyal servant.

Wade shrugged. "A lot... most of it is probably nonsense... I haven't spoken anyone who isn't slightly frightened of Randy. Quite few of people only speak of him in whispers while looking over their shoulders, like he could come out of thin air to kill them. They call him the viper, the psycho... I've heard some ridiculous rumors about his father being an ex-WWE superstar, him being an ex-marine..."

Wade knew this last bit of information to be true. He had asked a buddy who was still with the navy to get him Randy's file and it wasn't pretty. It was obvious the guy fitted better in a criminal organization than in a disciplined place like the navy. What he didn't get was the role the guy had here. None of the rumors said anything about Randy being especially bright. With everything he heard, he got more curious about the guy.

"And about Irvine... I've heard that he likes gambling, likes screwing young boys behind his wife's back, thinks he is a rock star... and that he goes around town calling himself the best in the world or something, but no-one can tell me what he's supposed to be so great at."

Cody took in the information about Chris, chuckling as he listened word for word, shaking his head.

"He's great at... well..."

He looked Wade over again, not sure if he could trust the guy already, if he would keep quiet around Chris or not. "Nevermind. You'll find that out sooner or later anyways... but... yeah, most of the info is right."

"Anything I haven't heard of yet?"

Cody shrugged, suddenly getting a lot more quiet, as if he fell into his own thoughts, his lean, long finger skimming the edge of his coffee-cup as he looked down into it.

"Nope... not really. Randy's truly dangerous, but I bet you'll get along with him. He likes his employees bloody and ruthless, though if I was you, I'd watch what I say around him... and you better don't piss him off. Same goes for Chris, though Randy's even more... well... vicious than him, more psycho. Chris is harmless compared to him."

Wade realized the change in Cody's voice as he mentioned Randy's name, realized the slight smile on his lips as he talked about him, realized the tensing of the boys muscles as he explained to him how vicious the Viper really was. Either the brunette had a huge crush on his boss or there was something more about it. He made a mental note to get some more information about Cody's past later. It might explain his affection towards the big boss.

"And Mike? Jake? What can you tell me about them?"

At that moment Mike, who had been listening at the door for quite some time now, thought it was enough. It had been interesting to see what was going on between Wade and Cody, the lust in both their eyes not going unnoticed and though it would have been interesting to hear what Wade had heard about him and Jake, he didn't want to take the risk of Cody telling Wade anything he didn't want the Englishman to know just yet.

"Good... you're on time. Any coffee left?"

Mike strolled into the lab, his posture relaxed as ever, his eyes meeting with Cody, who gave him a small smirk and then darted to Wade, checking him out and seeing exactly what Cody found so attractive in this man. Cody always liked strong, dangerous man. The only reason he didn't want Jake, was that Jake didn't swoon over him like everyone else did. Cody needed to be adored, to be admired, to be in the centre of attention, to be loved. That would be weak, if Cody wasn't this aware of his looks, of the effect he had on people and how he could use that to wrap everyone around his little finger. Well... everyone beside the yawning, still sleepy blond that followed Mike into the office. Jake was his and only his, and as he had showed that little slut yesterday, he would destroy everyone who even dared to look at him.

Wade eyed the two men up and down, taking in their expressions, their movements, their looks, the fact that they had both come downstairs together confirming his suspicion from yesterday afternoon. So there was one couple, but he still did not quite grasp who Cody was with... the big boss or that Teddy? He'd sure find out sooner or later. Cody glanced at him one last time, before hopping of his desk and following Mike into the kitchen, completely ignoring Jake in the process.

"Coffee's still hot. Help yourself. I've bought us some sandwiches a little earlier. Thought you might need something to eat."

"God, Codes... you're disturbingly cheery this morning. You've gotten lucky last night or what?"

The younger brunette smirked at him, shaking his head, hopping onto the counter next to him as he watched Jake's movements out of the corner of his eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know, huh Mikey? Now seriously..."

He leaned down, whispering into the other brunette's ear, desperate not to let Jake or Wade in on their conversation.

"That Wade guy seems pretty nice... and if he's as vicious and brutal in bed... as he is in his job, I think I've found myself a new plaything."

Mike chuckled heartedly, shaking his head as he poured himself a coffee, turning around to take a quick glance at Wade and Jake, both leaning against Cody's desk, more than obviously checking the two brunette's out. He send his lover a short wink before turning back to Cody with a wide smirk.

"I can't believe how quickly you learn, Codes... first Teddy, now Wade? Won't Randy crawl up your ass if he finds out?"

He was amused by how openly Cody flirted even when their boss was around, was intrigued if Cody could get Wade to follow him like a cute little puppy just like Ted did.

Cody shrugged. "Randy and I aren't exclusive, so I can fuck who ever I want."

Mike chuckled at the determined face of his friend. He hope this meant he wasn't as lovesick about their boss as he feared Cody was. Maybe, if Mike had all luck on his side for one time, Cody would fall for Wade and he could take them both with him as he joined Regal. Taking a long sip of his coffee, Mike turned around to face Wade and his lover again, leaning back against the counter as he smirked at them.

They seemed to get along pretty well, meaning that the only option they were having would be keeping Ted at the lab from now on and he doubted that Cody would have any objections. Raising his voice again so the two hit men could listen, he tilted his head to the side, still talking to his younger friend, but keeping eye-contact with his lover.

"Any idea when Ted will come in? We've work to do today."

Cody shrugged again, hopping down from the counter, but not before stretching once again, smirking as he saw Wade inhaling sharply.

"Dunno... he needs his beauty sleep, you know that. No way Teddy gets up when he slept less than his precious eight hours."

Mike groaned, shaking his head. Another thing he hated about Ted, asides from Cody's little pills, the guy did know nothing about having fun and how to relax, even less what partying meant.

"Well, can you call him, please?"

His voice grew a little harsher this time, sick and tired of the damn waiting and already annoyed that the day started unlike he had wanted it. Jake hadn't been in the mood for sex, Barrett and Cody were eye-fucking each other instead of working and now Ted was not even there yet. His patience was starting to faint.

* * *

The four man in the lab were still waiting for Ted. Cody's attempts to call him had been fruitless and Mike was starting to fume more and more. Both Jake and Cody knew better then to mess with Mike when he was in a mood like this and quickly went on with there own business. Jake had just signaled Wade to follow him to show him around, already looking forward to discussing weapons with someone who actually knew something about it, when a loud knocking on the back door broke the silence that had descended over the lab. All four men stared at the door, before Jake shrugged and went to open it. Nick breathed more easily when the door opened and practically pushed Jake aside to open it. Normally he stayed at least ten feet away from Jake, but right now, behind his back was the only place he felt safe. He had run the entire way here and was panting and sweaty as he leant against the door. There was nothing left of his normally relaxed demeanor.

Mike was the first to speak, seeing the usually so cocky blond distressed and frightened like that, arching a brow at him, the anger in his voice still audible. "What the fuck's wrong with you? You should've been here 10 minutes ago... and where's that Carribean Scumball?" Nick swallowed hard in between trying to get his breath back, all eyes still glued on him as he rested his hands on his knees, not daring to look up, words coming out in between short pants.

"Sorry... I... ran into... Matthew... at the gym... got infos for you... and... then he... wanted me to... walk with him... but we ran... into Kozlov and... Hawings... and... "

Jake's eyes narrowed on him, tilting his head to the side as he took in the informations. Kozlov was one sick fuck and knowing that, Nick could be glad to still breath at all.

"What information?"

Mike's voice was suddenly very near, intimidating near and as he looked up, the brunette was nose to nose with him, lips turned up in a snarl, eyes full of anger.

"Thanks for asking... about my condition first, boss. I'm fine." The cockiness and the attitude were the last string for Mike and in a sudden movement he grabbed the collar of Nick's shirt, slamming him back first into the door, holding him there in place as he snarled. "Information, Nick!"

Wade looked on with a bright smile on his face. He started to like this place more and more. Nick cowered under the steel look of the brunette. He needed his drugs and he needed it fast. He opened his mouth to ask for it, but then his eyes fell on the two bulky men that were looking on with similar smirks on their faces and he decided against it. Even if Mike didn't kill him for that, they would and knowing Jake, he'd do it with pleasure. Nick gasped for breath, clawing at the hands that were holding him.

"They… lemme breath man…" Mike released his grip just enough so the blond could talk. "They had a meeting ... with some guy name... err... Jacobs. Hawkins seemed pretty pissed when Koslov mentioned that."

This bit of information made Mike release Nick so he slumped down on the floor, gasping for breath. Turning around he had already forgotten the pathetic guy and was trying to remember if he heard that name before and how they could use this in his advantage.

"Boss?"

He was brought out of his thoughts again by Barrett's hand on his shoulder and turning to face the taller ravenette, he could see the smirk on his lips.

"What?"

"Well..." Barrett's smirk grew as he looked at the other men in the room, taking in their curious features, before he locked eyes with Mike again. "I think I know who that Jacobs is."

Mike's interest was surely awakened now, his brow arching, lips curling up at their corners in an attempt to smile. "Is that so?"

Nick finally found his breath back, now on his hands and knees as he glanced up at the two men, wondering who that tall, obviously British heritaged man was.

"Glenn Jacobs. Big name in Boston. I've heard he arrived two days ago and issued a challenge for everyone out there on the streets. He wants a little plaything, you know what I mean? And whoever brings him one first, something young, naive and innocent, will get highly praised... and paid."

The satisfied smirk compared with the evil look in Mike's eyes when he heard this, gave Cody the shivers. It was obvious Mike had something very demented in mind. On Jake, this look had a completely different effect. It gave him a hard-on in a second and he wished he could drag Mike upstairs and fuck him senseless.

"Brilliant... absolutely brilliant. Jake?" The blond nodded. "Do you remember John little plaything?"

A big smile crossed Jake's lips. "He would be perfect, Mike."

Mike chuckled, "For ten fucking years I've been thinking about a way to get back on that moron and here it is, thrown into my lap by our sweet little junkie."

Cody's alarm-bells went of at the mention of John. He knew exactly how much Mike despised him, knew how much he hated him, what he had done to him in the past and he knew for sure that the sudden gleam in Mike's eyes did not mean anything good. Turning towards Wade, Mike licked his lips, eyes filled with desire now, ignoring the blond junkie that was trying to get back on his feet right next to him.

"Well, Wade... I think you've just got yourself a job."

* * *

It was almost an hour later, everyone else gathered in the lab while Cody was working on his formulas, that Ted finally arrived at work, face flushed red, sweat on his forehead, eyes glassy and puffy. He looked as if he had not slept in ages, looked as if he had balled his eyes out, his hair sticking out in every possible direction, a faint hint of beard covering his chin and cheeks.

"Well, well, well… look who's finally decided to show up."

Mike's stare was cold, unforgiving, the veins in his forehead visibly pumping as he took in Ted's features, leaning against the kitchen-counter, Wade to his left, Jake to his right. Cody had already given Carlos and Nick the drugs they needed for the next two days and the sight of the Caribbean Junkie had not really helped his mood at all… and from the looks of it, Ted would have to be the one to pay for it.

"Sorry… I… my wife's sick. I couldn't leave her that quickly, had to wait till the doctor was there. Won't happen again."

He stuttered his apology down as he had planned it, trying to sound as convincing as possible and hoped that Mike would not ask any more questions, that Mike would just let it drop, but as he stared back into the ice-cold blues of his "boss", he already knew this was not going to happen.

"I don't give a shit about your little wifey, Teddy… You were supposed to be here at seven, not at fucking 9:15. You know I hate to wait… but obviously you don't give a shit."

He flinched under the harsh tone of the brunette, his eyes quickly drifting over to Cody, hoping for some help, for some back up from the young man, but there was no sign of Cody even realizing they were having a conversation. The young man seemed deeply in thoughts, rubbing his temples as he stared down at the pile of papers in front of him, contemplating on how the formula could be changed.

"Oh, Teddy-boy… don't think Cody will help you out of this shit this time. Even though he likes you, he's as sick of your antics as I am."

Just when Ted thought, it could not get any worse, Randy came marching inside, thick, dark sunglasses covering his eyes, as he did not even seem to recognize the other men in the room, stomping straight towards Ted. Flinching when Randy tightly grabbed onto his biceps, Ted's eyes widened, realizing the snarl on Randy's lips, the older mans face only inches away, revealing the icy-cold glare underneath the big shades.

"One word, Teddy!"

Shit, what had he done now? The harshness, the anger in Randy's voice did not only make him jump, but also the other men in the kitchen and it finally alerted Cody of the company they had.

Wade watched the scene in front of him intensely, his eyes darting from Ted to Randy to Cody and back again, taking in every single movement and reaction, even the growl escaping Jake's lips not going unnoticed. He tried to save everything to his memory, studying the relationships between the men.

Obviously Cody had lied to him, when he had mentioned that only he was allowed to call that blond Teddy instead of Ted, meaning that it must be a nickname only friends were allowed to use, meaning that Cody as well as that tall, dark-tanned, short-haired man who had just marched in –he assumed that this was Orton- were friends with the blond. The look Cody gave him, the tall, muscular ravenette was one of affection, of adore, of praise and most obvious to him one of love. So it was him, Cody must be screwing… the big boss. The growl from Jake told him that either he was not fond of the harsh behavior of their boss –which he doubted since he had already learned Jake himself was ruthless and vicious- or it was pure hatred towards the older man.

Cody had already turned around in his chair, arching a brow as he took in the scene in front of him, Randy nose-to-nose with Ted, tight grip on his forearm, snarl on his lips, body shaking with anger while Ted looked as if he could piss his pants at any second.

"Randy."

The soft, calming voice brought Randy out of his state, his head snapping towards the young man leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, frown on his angelic face as he shook his head. Instantly, the dark-tanned males grip on Ted's arm weakened, his features slightly softening, even a small smile playing on his lips as he locked eyes with his lover. Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards Ted, taking off his sunglasses to let the blond see the frustration in his eyes, to make clear that -even though Cody might have softened him- he was still in charge.

"I need to talk to you, Ted."

Hearing his name being hissed, Ted gulped hard, slowly nodding his head, silently thanking god for Cody being in the room, but cursing again as he felt Randy's grip tightening a second later and he was dragged towards the back and into the hallway.

It was silent for a long while, Cody as well as Mike, Jake and Wade staring at the wooden-door to the back, trying to get any kind of hint on what was going on, but no noises made it into the lab. Either Ted was already dead or Randy had calmed down again. Anyways, Mike could not care less right now; he had to take care of business.

"Okay, since Ted seems busy, you…" He turned to Wade, nodding. "… and Jake will go on a little hunt. I've shown you the picture of the guy; make sure to be silent, to not be seen. If anyone only so much as THINKS that it was us, we'll be in even bigger trouble. Having him out of the way, it'll be easy game for me to get rid of Hennigan, too. You know where to look, already know how to corner him. I'll find out where Jacobs is staying in the mean-time and will call Jake as soon as I have the info."

Wade nodded. Even though his mind was still trying to process the happenings from a few minutes ago, he knew how to follow orders, how to do his job. He was looking forward to this, to working together with Jake at his very first day, to actually have something to do. It would mean that he could get away from that little brunette siren, that he would not get tempted to just grab him and fuck him senseless on his first day. Seeing that he was obviously the boss's plaything, he was not so sure anymore if that even was what he wanted. No need to have that psycho coming after him, too, right?

"Good… Jakey-boy… be careful, okay? If your shoulder's making any trouble, you two come back immediately and do the job another day. I don't need you… or want you hurt any more."

The blond just nodded, already in his killer-mode, managing a soft smile as he looked down at his smaller lover. He loved how bossy he could get, no matter if it was business or personal, it was a major turn on.

The two headed out just in time when Randy and Ted came back from the hallway, both seemingly relaxed and calm, though Ted's shirt was sweat-soaked and Randy had his sunglasses back on. Ted was heading straight for the door, trying to get out as quick as possible, while Randy headed towards his young lover.

"Where do you think you're going, DiBiase?"

The menacing tone of Mike's voice startled him and before he could do anything, he saw Jake and the new guy leaving already, cursing his "luck". Turning back around, he tried to stay confident, try to look strong, tried to keep his composure, locking eyes with the brunette.

"I thought I have a job to do?"

"They don't need you, Ted. You'll stay in the lab from now on. Your job will be to make sure no one fucking comes in without permission, no one robs our precious drugs, no one destroys our place… and most importantly… that nothing happens to Codes over there."

* * *

**reviews please! **


	7. Love and War

**A/N:**

**Me: So we wanna thank you all for the lovely reviews, the favs and the story alerts. We still have a lot of ideas for our story, so it's nowhere near over, but unfortunately a little less free time on our hands. Don't you just hate work? *sighs***

**Legacychick: It's especially tough to write when Mizzy has work while I'm off and vice versa... which happens a lot as of late. We can only be happy that the muses help us.**

**Me****: We just love our muses... all of them. Beside Cena...Jeri shot him. Evan also died, stupid Sheamus. Jeri will have his revenge for that I'm sure.**

**Legacychick: Okay, enough with the muse-talk and on to the story. this chapter takes all place over the course of one evening. we're still with Randy's/Chris' "gang" but promise we'll also write more about Regals/Hunter's gang in later chaps plus there'll be a lot more characters involved.**

**Me: That's enough rambling for now... enjoy and leave loads of long and lovely reviews.**

**WARNING: Slash, Sex, Violence, Blood, Cursing (lots of), Murder (yes, someone dies), a female character (yes really the first woman in the story and probably the last) and ROMANCE**

**DISCLAIMER: We own a dozen of muses or so and obviously a crazy, fucked up mind (should we've warned that there's cursing in the Disclaimer, too?). Anyways, we don't own any of the wrestlers nor do we want to own most of them. They all belong to WWE, Vince McMahon *shudders at the thought* and their wives/gf's/fiance's. Except Mikey and Cody. They are still single as far as we know (if anyone knows otherwise, please don't tell us, we dun wanna know)**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Love and War**

"Fuck," Mike cursed loudly. This whole operation was going wrong. It was nothing like him to make impulsive decisions, but the last few days had brought him off balance and the chance to get revenge on at least one of his enemies had seemed too good to be true. Normally he would have spend days planning this, considering every option and every problem in advance. Not only had he no idea how to find Jacobs, he also had not considered that at least a dozen people, including a cop, had witnessed him fighting with John only the day before. Therefore, if anything happened to John, he would be one of the first the cops would talk to.

"Think Mike, think…" He ignored the curious glance from Cody. He considered pulling the mission at all, but that would be a last resort. They could get the boy, if they had him alone. The only thing necessary was that John did not rapport him missing. At that moment, his phone rang.

"Hey man."

"Hey Mike. We already have him. Stupid chick was wandering through a neighborhood he shouldn't be in. He was alone, so we don't have Hennigan."

Mike breathed a little easier. "Don't worry Jake, we'll get him later. Get the boy to the motel. The crew will take care of him for the time being. I haven't been able to find Jacobs yet."

The blond nodded even though his lover could not see him, sharing a quick glance with Wade who had the boy securely duck-taped and wrists and feet trapped with ropes, gripping him tightly by his arms, holding him against his chest. The small brunette was crying heavily, trying to wriggle and writhe out of the dark-haired male with little to no effort.

"Sure we will. Anything else?"

Mike let go of a sigh of relief, raking a hand through his fingers while already thinking about how to get Jacob's address.

"No… just… get him there… and Jake?"

"Hmm?"

"Well done. You and Wade deserve some fun tonight. Make sure he gets a close inlook on our business."

The blond could almost see the wink his lover gave him, could imagine the smirk on his lips while Barrett stuffed the lithe body into the back of their car, securely locking the door again and walking up to him. Their eyes met, Jake's lips curled up into a huge grin as he kept his phone to his ear.

"I'll make sure of that, Mikey."

He already had an idea what Mike was talking about and was sure that bringing Wade there would not only be fun for the ravenette, but also for himself.

The moment he lay down his phone Mike realized exactly who would know where to find Jacobs. The only problem was convincing her to give him the info he needed. If he was lucky, it would only be money. One thing was sure; he would be going there without Jake.

Their job was done. They had needed the whole day to get that little skunk seeing that he was barely alone before they finally had gotten the chance. Jake had dropped the boy off at a secure place until Mike would get news on where that Jacobs guy was staying. Until then, he had his guys who would take care of the little bimbo. The blond could not help but grin the whole drive back into town; Mike was happy with him and the good job they had done and had even told him to go have some fun.

He knew how to take it, knew what exactly Mike was playing at and he surely was going to make good use of it. Wade had been pretty quiet throughout the whole drive back, going their plan over and over in his head to see if there could be any problems coming up. Cops were covered as far as he knew since his contacts were already well aware of what him and the blond had done a few hours ago. He had called them right away. They would not only keep quiet, but also accuse every one of their co-workers of having false information's once the topic came up.

The only problem he saw was the boyfriend of that little scumball, but no one would believe him anyways. From what Jake had told him, the boy was neither the brightest crayon in town nor the most popular and liked citizen. Mike was not the only one who hated his guts.

It was not before Jake turned of the engine that Wade finally snapped out of his thoughts, immediately taking in his surroundings, realizing that they were nowhere near the lab. The blond stepped out of the car into the cool spring-night, leaning back down again and peaking his head inside the car to lock eyes with a curious brunette.

"Come on… I wanna show you something."

The taller man just shrugged, following the blond out of the car, his brows shooting up when he realized that they were at the pub they had met only two days ago. Seeing the blond walking inside, he hurriedly closed the car-door and followed him. The pub was crowded as usual even that late at night in the middle of the week. The costumers though had changed; there were barely any businessmen but a lot more addicts, gang-members, dealers and youth.

Jake walked past the bartender with a slight smirk on his lips, the nod of approval from the older man enough sign that the drive here had not been a waste of time. His eyes scanning the pub for only mere seconds, he walked to a darker part of the pub, waiting a moment for Wade to keep up with him. The moment he felt the presence of the young man behind him, he took a turn towards a door –a sign clearly reading "No entry"- and opened him, motioning for Wade to go inside.

What was behind the door was something Wade had often heard off, but never seen so far. There was a crowd of cheering, of booing, of yelling, of whistling. His eyes taking in his surroundings he could make out 20, maybe 25 figures, mostly male, standing around in a circle. In the middle of said circle there were two guys, a smaller, bald one, skinny, young, bruises bathing his body and a taller guy, black, also bald, muscular, blood leaking from his lips and from a cut above his eye.

Jake watched Wade's expressions, saw the gleam in the brunette's eyes, the satisfied smirk on his lips, the movement of his cracking neck as he was rolling it. Patting him on the back, he got the attention of his new partner in crime, pointing at the guys in the middle of the circle.

"Our third form of income. We've three of those clubs in Atlanta and one a little outside of town. There are meetings every other day. Everyone who wants to fight has to pay 200 bucks, winner gets 300, we get the rest. We even have some cops competing every now and then. The guy over there…" He pointed to a tall brunette, bashed nose, bruises on his face, not quite well trained, but still bulky. "… He's the one taking care of the fights, of the club here. We come here to get our money once a week, usually that's Mike's job, but he often takes me with him to have some fun. Now… seeing that I'm still a bit banged up, I rather don't get in there tonight, but you…" Jake shrugged, smirking at the anticipation, the desire, the lust in Wade's eyes. "… you deserve some fun. And since it's your first day with us… you'll even get the participation for free."

Only a few minutes later Wade stood in the ring, shirt discarded, giving everyone including Jake a perfect view of his trained, toned body, muscles ripped and bulging as he pumped himself up. His opponent was a rather bulky, tall redhead, middle-aged, not only hair but also his clothes looking dirty and sweaty. Smirking smugly, Wade already knew that the guy would be no match for him.

Jake was watching the fight intensely, wishing it could be him instead of Wade, maybe even instead of that sloppy punk. He would love to compare his skills with Wade's, but his shoulder still was not good enough. He needed more time to heal or else he would regret it later, not only because Mike would kill him for risking his own health but also because he would not be at his best in the fight. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, eyes sparkling brightly as he pursued Wade's actions, decimating the other guy with kick after kick, with armbar's, punches, even a bodyslam. The guy sure as hell had lots of talent.

The fight was over in no time, Wade's last kick right to that guy's temple almost snapping his head off. Unable to get up by the end of the 10-count, the guy looked not just a bloody mess, but also dead, though his chest was still rising and falling. The money exchanged hands, Wade putting it securely into the front of his sweat-pants before grabbing his shirt and pulling it back on.

For Jake it had been fascinating to watch, especially the fact that Wade was barely sweating, was barely out of breath was something he locked in the back of his mind. He would definitely be useful –more useful than Ted- when it came to the more dangerous jobs. The brunette walked back over to him, wiping some pearls of sweat away from his forehead, a proud grin on his lips.

"Good job there, Barrett! I can't wait to be able and step into the circle with you."

The taller one of them just nodded his head, brushing some dust of his pants before glancing back at the onlookers and fighters with a smirk on his lips.

"Well… it sure as hell was fun… I've gotta ask you though… have you ever thought about taking bets on the fights? It sure as hell would be another good way to increase the income."

Obviously, he was not only a tough fighter, but a clever businessman, too.

"You've gotta ask Mike about it. Last time Ted suggested it, he was not too fond of the idea, but he never really told us why not."

Slowly making their way back outside, through the pub and into the cool air, Wade contemplated on whether to ask Jake or not. His curiousness was getting the better of him though.

"Why Mike? I mean… shouldn't it be Randy and Chris making such decisions?"

A low chuckle escaped Jake's lips as he opened the door to their car, shaking his head and stepping inside, Wade following him in with his brows arched, eyes focusing on the tall blond.

"You really have a lot more to learn, man… But that can wait until tomorrow."

* * *

It wasn't only as a reward that Mike had send Jake away to have some fun. He had a little errant to run and this was one he needed to make alone. This was one of the few things he kept away from Jake. This was more for the blond's protection than for anything else.

Softly whistling he walked through the dark streets of his old neighborhood. The houses in this part of town were ramshackle and badly maintained, front yards had weed as high as your knees and were covered with junk, cars were rusty and old. Nothing good came out off this neighborhood, it was the kind of place that got into your blood. Half the kids Mike went to school with were already behind bars. In this part of town murder rates skyrocketed, and so did suicides. The level of drug and alcohol abuse was insane. This was a harsh world, a world forgotten by social services and ignored by government; this was a place that ruled itself.

Mike made sure he came back here every now and then, not only to see how far he'd gotten, but also to keep his ties with his old friends and to underline that he didn't feel himself above his old hood. Loyalty was fierce here and it was a group you didn't leave without punishment. People knew who he was and on this streets - lethal to anyone who didn't belong here - he was safe as a baby in his crib. He felt at home and he was, despite the lousy conditions, seriously considering buying his own place here sometime soon. He passed his old school - still the same old fucked-up building with leaking roofs and more windows broken than whole - and he turned a corner, finally reaching his destination.

This little house stood out like a beacon. The house was freshly painted, in bright pink and yellow, the windows sparkly and flowery curtains prevented people from looking in. The front yard was immaculate, the grass was mowed and flowers adorned the weed-free borders. It looked like the house of a fairy godmother, but Mike knew that the title evil witch was closer to the truth, at least, if she didn't like you. When he rung the bell a merry tune flowed through the evening air and it didn't take long before footsteps hurried to the door.

"Michael! It's been too long, my dear."

"Vicky! I should've come by sooner, but you know how it is…"

Vicky pulled the young man into a tight embrace; she was proud of her protege. He had come far from the scrawny, hurt kid he once was, from the six-year old that was hiding in her backyard after being beaten by his older brothers.

"Where's that hunky bodyguard of yours? Didn't you bring him?"

Mike didn't miss the disappointment in Vicky's eyes. Vicky loved her men young and blond and Mike hadn't made the mistake of bringing Jake within her reach more than once.

"Jake was busy tonight, so I decided to spend the night with my favorite auntie."

"Don't call me auntie, Michael, it makes me feel old. And don't give me that innocent look, I know when you want something, I've know that since you were six and came begging for a sweet."

"Don't call me Michael, Vicky. It makes me feel like an accountant."

They both laughed when Mike followed Vicky to her living room. The house was on the inside as immaculate as on the outside. It was spotless, the furniture shone and everything fitted together. It was a snug place that made you feel at home, the kind of place you would suspect to find on the English countryside, not in one of the worst places in the USA. Vicky poured Mike a big glass of whiskey before bringing her own to her lips, sinking back into the thick cushions of her sofa.

"So Mike, tell me what you came for. Let's get that out of the way, before you tell me all that has been keeping you from me."

"I need information. I've tried everywhere and no-one knows or no-one dares to tell me. There's supposed to be a man in town, a big name from Boston. A guy named Glenn Jacobs. I heard he's looking for something and I think I have what he wants. I just can't find him."

Vicky giggled, taking in the determined features of her young friend. Mike hated to fail, that was even true as a young child, always proving that he was better than everyone else. But friends or not, Vicky did never something solely for the other; giving things for free, meant giving up power. This was one of the many things she had taught Mike over the years.

"Ah… Glenn… I know him, I know him pretty well. And I do know where he's staying and how to contact him. But what can you give me for that little piece of information?"

Mike sighed relieved. Vicky knew what he needed, now all that lasted was the usual negotiating.

"I could pay you handsomely. Or of course, us being old friends…"

"Us being friends doesn't mean you'll get anything for free. I know the deal you're talking about and I also know that Glenn is loaded. What cost me nothing to tell you, will make you a fortune. A fortune that - knowing you - you'll probably only partially share with your bosses."

She looked at Mike over her glass, a amused sparkle in her eyes when she read the truth in Mike's eyes. Vicky was one of the only people who could read him, the one who had taught him how to do so with others.

"How's Chris anyway? The little bugger never takes time to visit me anymore. The bastard feels he's too important to remember where he came from. And Randy? I've seen him pass by sometimes, but he never sees me. I make sure he doesn't. Aggressive little bugger, even as a kid. But it's no wonder, with parents like that. You might think yours are bad, but Randy's? But I don't think you know them, he moved away at a pretty young age. The only things I heard after that were gossip, but it was not pretty. Not that I've ever heard anything pretty about any of the Orton family. One big pile of shit. His sister, Becky I believe, works as a stripper and prostitute in the M5 now. Dirty place that is, and not a place that you would want your daughter or sister to be. Randy knows and so does their father, but they don't give a shit."

Vicky told this with shining eyes and soft clicking of her tongue. The woman loved to gossip and if she didn't like you, she couldn't care less about the information she spilled. Mike sat relaxed in his chair, not showing the shock that her words gave him. He had never heard anything about Randy's past before his marine time. He didn't even know that Randy was from around here. He had always thought Randy's parents had been loaded, but it seemed they hadn't always been. He needed to get to know more about Randy's background, something that would give him an edge over his boss. Talking to his sister might be interesting. But that would come later, first he needed what he came from.

"I always thought you were waisting your life working for them. You know there are rumors of Regal getting sick of Hunter? There's even rumors of Vince coming back from retirement. You might wanna make your move now, kid."

"I've heard the same things and let's just say I'm considering my options. But back to Jacobs, Vicky. I have all night to catch up on all the gossip. How much do you want?"

"I have no need for money, gorgeous. I've got everything I want and my nephew is doing good in his new business. He takes care of me just fine. But with him so busy, I'm getting a little lonely you know. And there's some jobs to do in the house, some paintings to hang, a room to paint, things like that."

Mike decided to play dumb. He had a feeling he knew who she wanted and he didn't like it one bit.

"I could visit you more often, hire someone to help you out."

"No Mikey… you have no idea how to please a woman. And you know that I like my men blond."

Mike couldn't keep the anger out of his eyes, but he kept his voice friendly, "I can't send you Jake. He's busy."

"Don't worry Mikey," Vicky chuckled taking a sip of her whiskey, "I'm not asking you to give up your lover. He would be no fun at all. That boy has never even looked at anyone else but you. But someone with your contacts must know someone whose willing to spend some hours entertaining a lady? I would pay him handsomely."

Suddenly the bleached-blond junkie came in mind and Mike grinned. He had the feeling Nick wouldn't even object to this assignment.

"I'll send someone over the day after tomorrow. I think you'll like him. Young, blond, perfect body, a bit of a junkie, but nothing you can't handle and he's a real ladies man."

Vicky smiled and reached behind her for a pen and paper to scribble some information on.

"Tell Glenn I sent you. That will save your life. Glenn is not much saner than Randy is and much more dangerous, since he has the money to buy his own army. Now, tell me what's going on with you and that beautiful blond. Have you finally admitted that you love him?"

* * *

The city was dark, only some near-by lights giving the park a natural glow to it, Cody's fingers linked with the tall ravenette's as they walked towards their destination. Randy had not told him anything about the date, just that there was no need to dress up. Now that they were in the park, close to 10 pm already, Cody was glad that Randy had ordered Ted to follow them in a decent distance. He knew that his lover was playing mind-games with Ted and had happily agreed when Randy had asked him if it was okay.

The brunette was actually surprised that Randy had taken him on that date at all. He had kind of been sure that Randy would back-pedal at the very last minute and decide against this whole serious relationship thing. What the older man did not know was that it was Cody's first actual experience at something like this. He'd never had anything close to a relationship. Flings and One-Night-Stands yeah, but a date that -like he had requested it to Randy- would not end in sex, it was definitely a first.

The two lovers were silent, both of them oddly nervous even though they knew each other most of their lives. Cody wasn't the only one who had never been on a date before. Randy had never had the urge to do so, the need for something more than a quick fuck. The moment Cody had left his office that morning he wondered why he had so readily agreed on Cody's request for a serious relationship. He still didn't really understand; the only thing he knew was that Cody's company made him feel calm and peaceful and... normal. With Cody near the voices were quiet, never more then whispers in the background. Ever since he met Cody, the boy had that effect on him; his mere presence enough to calm him down, the innocence and playfulness of those blue eyes enough to make him forget about his pain.

As they reached their destination, Cody's eyes went wide, his lips parting slightly in a silent gasp at the scene in front of him. In a silent part of the park, a playground only a few feet away -empty at this time of the day- there lay a big blanket, surrounded by candles -not lit yet- and a basket in the middle of it. Next to the basket lay a single red rose, the moonlight barely skimming it.

Randy took in the surprised expression on Cody's handsome face, smiling inwardly as his eyes scanned the glimmer in Cody's blues, the big smile on his full, so soft lips. It was beyond him why every time the boy smiled, he could not help but smile, too. He had ordered Nick to arrange this picnic an hour ago and was actually stunned that the blond junkie did not screw something up for once. He knew if he wanted Cody to trust him again, to see the real him, the man that was still somewhere deep inside of him, behind those nagging voices and his coldness, he would have to give his best.

Ted stared at the pair, unsure of what to do, unsure of what they wanted from him. Was this meant as pure torture, or was Randy actually afraid something was going to happen? Forcing his eyes of his friends he stared into the darkness, looking, listening for something wrong. Pure jealousy filled him with a rage he didn't even knew he had in him, two feelings that were so, so wrong for the wrong reasons. For the thousandth time that day he started whispering prayers, hoping to calm his aching nerves.

The two brunettes had no idea of Ted's inner turmoil's, or if they did, didn't give a damn. They were all eyes, all ears for the other. The world around them forgotten for the moment. "Randy... this is... beautiful." He smiled up to the older man, love filling his heart. He knew he had been right about Randy, that there was a softer side of him somewhere deep inside.

Though Randy just shrugged, his sparkling eyes told Cody how much he appreciated the fact that he liked it. "It's nothing."

Cody smiled at him as they sat down on the blanket, Randy right next to him, wrapping an arm around the boy's waist to pull him into his side. The warmth of the Atlanta-air was nothing compared to his lovers body-warmth, radiating through him just by the mere contact of his bare arm.

The young brunette had done a lot of thinking over the past two days, most of it during his restless nights. He was sure that Randy's change had come not only from his past, but also from the constant use of drugs and the constant illegal fights he had done before he had to "retire" due to his shoulder- and neck-injuries. If he could get him to stop using, maybe it would be a good first step into the right direction.

What he did not know was what had happened in Randy's past that he had become the person he was now. The older brunette never talked about it, no one knew anything about his childhood, about how he grew up, none of them had ever met his parents though he had heard a lot of rumors on the streets. If only half of it was true, he already had his explanation.

The picnic went –to both of them surprisingly- good. They talked about all kind of things; music, movies, job, the city, their past "relationships", their past in general. None of them had even realized until them how few they really knew about the other one. Though Cody realized that Randy kept his answers about his childhood short, he was thankful that the older man let him in on at least some of it. Randy had not planned on ever telling Cody about his past, let alone in a park where every one could listen in. The few answers he had given the boy had been nothing spectacular.

Ted was still leaning against the tree nearby, looking everywhere but at them. The loving gestures between them, the gentle touches, the tender and longing kisses did nothing but to intensify the jealousy inside of him. Even though he had enjoyed watching them many times before, that had been hard, meaningless and fast sex, nothing compared to what was going on right now. It made him sick to his stomach to see the feelings between them grow with each passing minute.

"Randy… let's go on the swing!"

Even Ted couldn't suppress the chuckle at Cody's enthusiastic outburst after they had finished their picnic, the stunned look on Randy's face almost making him burst out in laughter.

"Babe… I don't think it's appropriate for a man with my reputation to go on a swing."

"Please?"

Cody's lashes fluttered against his prominent cheekbones before opening again, the most influencing puppy-dog-eyes staring straight back at the else so hard macho with pouting lips, trembling.

"Fine!"

It was rather an annoyed growl as Randy looked around the park before pushing himself off the ground, holding a hand out to a now beaming brunette and helping him up, their lips meeting for a short kiss as they stood chest to chest.

"Anything you want."

As they reached the swings, Cody motioned for his lover to sit down first, the older man hesitating a while, but finally obeying after his eyes scanned their surroundings again, gaining a chuckle from his lover.

"Randy! You really think it'll hurt your reputation when someone sees you on a swing?"

The older man just grunted as he finally sat down on it, crossing his arms over his chest, face clearly showing the frustration he felt. "Well… yeah!" Cody shook his head, smiling at his lover before moving in front of him and straddling his thighs, kissing him softly.

"If anything, it will help your reputation… cause you're here with the hottest thing in town."

He winked, eliciting a loud laugh from the tattooed man, the eldest instantly relaxing and feeling at ease, something only Cody could do to him. He was sure that Cody would never betray him, never hurt him, that unlike everyone else in his life he would not leave him. For some reason the boy did not judge him like everyone else, the brunette did not push him, he showed him something that Randy had never felt before: trust, love and worthiness. Unlike HIM, Cody accepted him the way he was.

The younger man smirked, scooting even closer, pushing Randy's thighs together with his palms. Alarmed at what the young brunette planned, Randy's brows shot up, eyes widening, grabbing the strings and holding onto them tightly. "Codes… you can't do that! This thing won't hold the two of us."

Cody just shrugged, raising one of his legs and pushing it in between the string and Randy's waist, doing the same with the other leg. "It will… I know it will." And before Randy could react, the brunette already sat in his lap, faces only inches apart. Randy wet his lips, staring straight into those ocean blue eyes, slight smirk playing on his face. "I'm not the first you're here with, huh?"

The young man just shrugged, pursing his lips at him, Randy's hands holding him tight by his waist while his own were wrapped around the short-shorn man's neck. "Maybe I've been here before… once or twice." Randy's smirk grew as he shook his head at him, his eyes gleaming with lust, length growing harder with every slight shift of Cody's hips.

"Little slut, you."

"Takes one to know one."

Anyone else would have been dead by now, or at least knocked out cold, but Cody's only answer was a sharp snap of his hips and a playful growl of the older man, his lips soon covered by those of his lovers. Randy's eyes stayed open, darting over to the blond watching them intensely, thinking neither of them would notice, as their kiss grew harder, needier.

"How bout we give Teddy-boy a show, babe?"

It was only a soft murmur against his lips, the huskiness of Randy's voice making Cody well aware of what he was hinting at and he instantly pulled away, blue emeralds staring at the older man as he shook his head. "You promised me something for tonight."

As if on commando, Randy let out an almost childish huff, pulling the young brunette even closer to him as he buried his face in the crook of Cody's neck, sighing. "I know… a man can try, can't he?"

* * *

As he watched the ongoing scene, Ted could not help to think back to his little conversation with Randy they had had yesterday in the hallway.

_Closing the door behind them, Randy raked a hand through his shortly-shaven hair, closing his eyes for a second and taking a deep breath, before eyeing Ted. The young man was visibly shaking, swallowing hard at the look of despair in Randy's eyes, chewing on his lips as he waited for his boss, his friend to say something._

_"You've talked to my dad… you've actually asked him for money."_

_It was more a statement than a question, the hiss clearly audible, Randy's voice though seemingly calm and low. Ted bit his lip, looking down at his feet as he tried to avoid eye-contact. There was something about Randy's look to make him feel uneasy, to scare him to death, to frighten him and he was sure, he was not the only one who felt that way._

_Suddenly, he was pushed back into the wall, colliding hard with the brick, feeling Randy's breath ghosting over his face._

_"Answer me one question, Teddy… what the fuck do you think you were doing?"_

_The venom in his voice made Ted shudder even more, Randy's hands on either side of his head and his face only inches away not really helping the matter as he tried to keep his composure, tried to look strong._

_"I… he…"_

_"You know how fucking much I hate this bastard, Ted… you know it. You're the only one who knows… and still you go and talk to him, still you have the courage to ask HIM for money?"_

_Ted gulped, his gaze staying fixed on the floor as he tried to form words, form a sentence, the right ones._

_"I… I needed the money… I'm having some troubles and… with the payment I get… I didn't… I… well, Kristen doesn't know and I just needed money, quick. You know my dad doesn't talk to me anymore; neither does my mother… so… who was I supposed to go to? Your dad was kind enough to listen and… to give me what I needed."_

_Randy was shaking with anger, with frustration, his whole body tense, muscles bulging underneath his tight shirt. Just as Ted braced himself for the slap to come, Randy turned his back towards him, clamping his hands over his face to stifle a scream before raking them down. If Ted had not been behind him, he would have seen the tears in his friend's eyes, tears of desperation, of anger, of agony._

_"I'm sorry… but…"_

_"Shut up, Ted!"_

_The else so hard and steady was voice shaking now, throaty and raw as he took a deep breath. Ted knew better than to push his friend, than to act against his boss' order, slowly backing away again as he had taken a step towards Randy only seconds before._

_"God damn, Ted… you could've come to me… but of all people… of all the ones you know, I know, you choose the one I despise the most. Fuck, really Ted…"_

_Staying quiet, Ted lowered his head again, tears threatening to build in his eyes. He knew that if Randy finds out, this would happen, knew he made a mistake to first go there, to that place of sin and lust, last night and then visit Bob early this morning, but he had needed the money for… well… to silence his desires, his needs. His wife sure was not the one to go to for that and he had been too embarrassed to ask Randy. The only option he could think off had been his friends father and even though he know their history, he was too desperate, too burnt out to even care._

_The sharp inhale brought him out of his thoughts again, looking back up to find Randy standing in front of him once more, his sunglasses back on his nose, hiding his eyes as the older man seemingly tried to collect his feelings, his thoughts. The small tear-drop on his cheek should have surprised Ted, but he knew better than to say anything. _

_"How much?"_

_Ted blinked at the older man in confusion, tilting his head to the side and arching his brows as he was trying to figure what Randy was talking about._

_"How much did he give you?"_

_"Five Thousand…"_

_It was barely above a whisper, Ted's embarrassment making his voice weak, making him look like a little boy asking for forgiveness as he lowered his head again. Randy took a deep breath, audible to Ted, before shaking his head and taking out his wallet from the back of his jeans, rummaging through it until he found the one thing he was looking for._

_"Pen."_

_The voice back to calm, Ted looked back up at his friend, seeing the changed expression on his face. He looked a lot more at ease now, almost relaxed as he held out a hand to the questioning blond. Once again, Ted did not grasp what Randy wanted, looking a little dumbfolded at the dark-tanned male._

_"Give me a fucking pen, Ted."_

_He obeyed instantly, searching his pockets for the item Randy knew so well he had always with him. It was one of his habits to carry one with him all the time in case his weapons would not work or he would get stripped of them. It might have sounded ridiculous, but he knew how to use that pen for more than just writing. Finally finding it in the back of his jeans, he pulled it out with shaking hands, holding it out to Randy._

_The older man almost ripped it out of his grip, without a word or so much as a look at the blond, scrambling down on the piece of paper before handing it back to Ted._

_"Take that check and give it to Bob. I don't want you to have any debts, not with him anyways."_

_He handed the surprised man the check, but not before taking off his sunglasses again, his now hard, stoned eyes boring directly into Ted's frightened greens, the snarl coming back to his lips._

_"And next time, Ted… make sure you ask ME before you go to that old, useless bastard. You understand me?"_

_Ted only managed to nod, taking what was handed to him, slowly folding it to place it in the back-pocket of his jeans, determined to make his next visit to Bob before the evening dawned. He sure was not going to betray Randy's trust again. He was glad enough that the older man had not snapped on him, had not strangled nor hit him and especially that he now knew, he did not need to worry about their friendship._

He wondered what if Cody knew… would he still love that man so very much?

* * *

It only took them about thirty minutes to get close to the lab again, leaving the car five streets down, wiping away all evidence that they had ever used it, leaving the keys inside, before walking down the streets. Wade had decided to accompany Jake to the lab, wanting to get some more information about him as long as the night was still young, get to know not only Jake, but also Mike a bit better. In addition, if he got lucky, he might even run into that sexy brunette again.

They did not come far though, because only a few blocks down they ran into two figures, two whom Jake sure had not expected in that part of town, not that close to the lab, not anywhere near him at all. As he spotted them, the redhead as always carrying the lead pipe close to his body, the dirt-blond with brassknuckles wrapped around his hand and a Beretta stuffed in his waistband, he knew they were in trouble, loads of trouble. He was not sure if Wade had a weapon on him and even though they were both good fighters, he still had an injured shoulder.

"Look, look who we have here… Mister Hager and… a new plaything? What happened to your pretty boss, Jakey? Wasn't good enough anymore?"

Cena's voice ringed through the night, Wade's gaze drifting confused between Jake and the two strange men, the growl escaping his partner's throat alerting him that those two meant trouble. They were getting closer, too close, Cena's breath ghosting over Jake's face as he smirked at him.

"What, Hager? Cat cut your tongue? Not so brave and strong anymore when there's two of us?"

He could see the drugs in Cena's eyes, could smell the sweat on Cena's body almost making him hurl in disgust. How Cena was already back up after everything they had done to him a few days ago was a miracle. The guy should be curled up on a pile of piss at that rathole called his house. What he did not know was that Cena was not only pumped full of drugs but also on painkillers and still nothing made him numb enough to forget about the pain. He was thankful to have Farrelly with him.

Returning the smirk, Jake took one more step closer to him, the two men now chest to chest as he shook his head

"Who would have thought you'll ever be able to walk again, Cena? And look… your mouth even grew bigger between last week and now… Farrelly helped you to stretch it, huh?"

Wade's chuckle made them well aware again of the existence of their two friends, Stephen watching the whole scene with as much interest as Wade, though his hand was tightly wrapped around his lead-pipe, ready to strike. The darkness of his eyes, the hard features of his face, the snarl on his lips made Barrett curse himself under his breathe for not bringing a weapon tonight. The only thing he had was his knife and somehow he doubted it would be enough if it came to a fight.

Cena's jaw clenched at the remark, his eyes flicking back and forth between Jake and the tall ravenette before he took a step back again, shaking his head.

"Funny, Hager, real funny… calling us gay even though you're the town's whore."

If it was not for his injured shoulder, he would have jumped him long ago and beaten the dirt out of his mouth, but Jake did not want to risk injuring himself even more. Mike would never forgive him and he did not want to kill them just now. After all, Mike was still waiting for his money.

"That reminds me, Cena… found enough jobs to get our 10 grand together yet? You know it's deadline in two days."

He was glad that Stephen stayed out of their discussion so far. He knew the redhead was not one to talk a lot, rather letting his actions speak for himself, and even though he was prepared, he did not like the silence radiating from the elder man.

Cena laughed heartedly, shaking his head, the sudden change in behavior alerting Barrett and startling Jake, both sets of eyes fixing on him as he almost doubled over with laughter.

"You really… think… you'll get… the money back?" Only a second later, he straightened up again, features returning to stone-cold, eyes darkening, lips twitching up in a smirk. "Too… damn… bad!" Before they knew it, Farrelly had tackled Wade to the ground and Cena had caught Jake with a hard blow to his jaw, making him stumble backwards.

The two attackers gained momentum from the beginning, Jake's injured shoulder weakening him to a point where he could barely fight back while Wade was still a little exhausted from the fight he had gone through an hour ago. Brassknuckles and a leadpipe came into use leaving great amounts of bruises all over their bodies. The blond was able to block some blows, even hitting Cena back a few times. For a moment, it even looked as if he could overpower him, but the stinging pain in his shoulder all of a sudden made him lose his guard long enough for Cena to regain his strength.

All four were rolling around on the dirty streets, Wade trying to struggle free from a chokehold, getting his knee up fast enough to hit Farrelly's guts, able to roll him off him. Reaching for his knife, he quickly got it out of his waistband, striking like the pro he was and stabbing the redhead in his shoulder. The cry of pain alerted not only Cena and Jake, but also the young brunette who was on his way back to the lab. Quickly pulling and charging his gun, he ran towards the source of the noises, already quite aware of what might be happening.

Cena was up in no time, scurrying to get his Beretta out and pointing it at a heaving and panting Jake, out cold on the sidewalk, propped up on his elbows, blood leaking from his bottom-lip, jaw already starting to bruise. As soon as Wade heard the click of the gun, he spun around to face Cena, but the older male only took a few steps back, the gun in his hands pointing at Jake, then at Wade and at Jake again, a wicked grin playing on his lips.

"You better not move, buddy… or your friend will be dead in a matter of a second."

Farrelly had used the chance to get up again, trying to regain his breath, holding onto his bleeding shoulder with his good arm, pain and agony evident in his features.

Mike scowled as he turned the corner, stopping dead in his tracks as he spotted the scene in front of him. His lover on his back, Cena towering over him only a few feet away, weapon in his shaking hands. It did not take him more than a nano-second to make the decision, the loud "Bang" echoing throughout the streets, the tall, muscular dirt-blond sinking to his knees, then to his stomach, blood starting to pour from the back of his head.

Three sets of eyes gaped at the dying figure in surprise, the whole scene happening so fast that none of them had seen it coming, Farrelly's head snapping towards the small brunette, eyes widening as he saw the weapon in his hand, scrambling to get away as fast as possible, not even daring to check on his partner as he was sure he had not survived that shot.

"Don't forget the money in two days, you punk!"

It was the last he heard before he was out of their sight. Mike's eyes instantly flicked from Farrelly's retreating form to his lover, hurrying over to him and kneeling down, hands frantically clutching everywhere checking for serious injuries, checking for blood. Jake could not help but grin at him, even though the huge amount of pain he was in. The blond was so proud of his lover; he could not even form it in words.

"Babe… I'm okay… please. Just help me up, will you?"

After locking eyes with his lover, Mike hesitantly nodded, wrapping an arm around Jake's waist to steady him before pulling him up. Wade, in the meantime, had been checking on the cold form lying in the dirt, any signs of life wiped away, no heartbeat, no breathing. Mike's shot had almost literally blown his brain out.

"You sure you're okay?"

Mike still had an arm around Jake's waist, the blonde's hand involuntarily reaching for the back of his head, groaning a little as he felt for any bumps, shaking his head.

"I'm fine… nothing a nice massage can't change."

Despite being worried, Mike could not help but let a small grin appear on his lips, playfully smacking Jake's arm before a frown made its way back to his face and he turned to look down at the bleeding figure on the sidewalk, Wade standing next to him, just examining the scene.

"We better get going before the cops show up."

Neither of them would have argued with him there, both heads quickly nodding before all three of them hurried down the streets and towards the lab. If they were lucky, no one had seen their fight, if not they would have a lot of explaining to do the next days

* * *

"Why's it always like this lately, Jakey?" Mike let his eyes travel over the form of his lover, who sat crumbled on his bed, head hanging, pale from the shock and the pain.

"Like what, babe?" Jake raked his hand through his hair, making it stand to all sides. He met Mike's eyes, that were warm with concern. He couldn't help but smile at this openness. Things had definitely changed for the better between them.

"You being injured, me having to rescue you and take care of you." His eyes suddenly got a devilish gleam, perfectly matching the smirk on his lips. "You do this on purpose, don't you? You like it when I take care of you."

Jake grinned, groin tightening because of the look Mike gave him. "Yeah right, I get beaten up by Cena and that crazy Irishman to make you act all nice and sweet." Slowly he lifted himself from the bed, stalking towards the brunette. "But I tell you this, Mikey. I have absolutely no intention of letting you take care of me." With those words he shoved Mike against the wall, holding him there with his bodily weight, grabbing his wrists in one hand and pinning them against the wall. "I can take care of you just fine." He crashed his lips on Mike, ravishing his man's mouth, grinding against him. Mike hungrily answered the kiss, completely taken aback by the force behind the assault, but no less craving it. It had been too long since they last had sex.

Suddenly Jake ended the kiss, stepping back and walking away. Mike stared after him, breathless, hand on his racing heart. Jake leant against the bathroom door and smirked at Mike.

"I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join me?"

With that words he disappeared inside the bathroom, leaving Mike bewildered for a moment. Jake was changing; time would tell if it was a good change, but one thing was certain, it was attractive as hell. He hesitated, not sure if he would let his control slip away so easy, but he still felt Jake's body against his, the passion in their kiss and he suddenly didn't care anymore and hurried to join his lover.

The blond stood already under the streaming water, steam filling the room. Mike trailed his eyes over the sculpted form of his man, his broad shoulders, the strong back with the muscles rippling beneath the bronzed skin, the perfect ass and his longer-than-life legs.

"You're bloody perfect, you know that?" Mike groaned while ripping off his own clothes.

Jake turned around, a huge grin on his face, his arousal already clearly visible.

"Anything to please you…, boss," he answered playfully, his eyes glued on the stripping brunette, who looked just as perfect in his eyes.

Mike quickly stepped out off his boxers and stalked towards the waiting man. He pressed his body against his and wrapped his hand in the blond hair to pull his head down and he claimed the hot lips. Their kiss was passionate and sloppy, with clacking teeth and tongues fighting for dominance. This kiss was the only thing needed to make the two man rock-hard and throbbing for the other.

Both men panted into the kiss. Their lengths were trapped between their bodies and their buckling hips drove them together. The eldest slipped both hands between them and wrapped them around both dicks, rubbing them together. Loud groans filled the room, as Jake hid his face in Mike's neck, closing his eyes for a moment to completely savor the feeling of the expert hands of his lover. His lips nibbled the soft skin, quickly finding the places that drove Mike wild with need.

"I need you Jake… I need you to fuck me raw."

Two big hands trailed over the brunette's back, clenching his ass, fingers teased the cleft, making Mike mewl in anticipation. A tip of a finger entered the tight hole, massaging the velvet walls, lips found each other, hungrily kneading. Mike pushed back on the teasing finger, forcing it completely inside, rocking back and forth and uttered a loud scream when Jake stabbed the bundle of nerves inside him.

"Hurry up!"

"Needy aren't we?" Jake chuckled, but felt his own need rising by every yank on his dripping erection, by the way Mike rocked back on his finger, by the look of intense pleasure on his man's face. Suddenly he couldn't wait until he was pounding away in that inviting hole. A second finger was quickly added, pulling roughly in and out. Groans left Mike's lips. He never minded it rough; at times like these he even needed it rough. A few more stabs and Jake pulled his fingers out, shoving his man against the wall and deeply kissing him, meanwhile lifting him. A sharp pain made him cry out, letting Mike slip down.

"Fucking shoulder!"

The two men stared at each other for a few second, pain and concern drowned out by their mutual lust, before Mike turned around, leant his hands against the wall and offered the other his hot ass. The invitation was immediately taken, the larger man pressed his body against the brunette, pushing him against the wall. Mike tensed up for a moment, taken back to a moment of helplessness; another moment of being pushed against a wall; to the paralyzing fear of a man forcing his way into his resisting body. A gasp left his lips, eyes clenching shut, until the soft touch of his lover, the lips that tenderly nuzzled his neck, brought him back into the now.

"What's wrong, Mike?" Jake's voice was soft with concern. He hadn't missed the fear that gripped his love's body. He wrapped his arms protectively around Mike's waist and pulled him close, chin resting on his shoulder, cheeks rubbing together.

"Not now, Jake… We'll talk later… now I need you to make me forget… please help me forget…"

Jake closed his eyes and swallowed. He had a feeling what Mike needed to forget and he had to concentrate on the hot naked skin of his lover against his to keep his arousal intact. Mike needed this from him, like he had needed it countless times before and would hopefully never need again. As always he would give the man he lived for exactly what he wanted.

"Please babe… I need to feel you in me… please."

Jake felt bad how it turned him on to hear Mike beg. Him begging was something new, a sign how much the last few days had affected Mike and a sign of the changed relationship between them.

Jake rubbed his leaking shaft up and down Mike's cleft, positioned himself in front of the pucker and as an answer to a inviting moan from the other, he plunged himself into the waiting depths. The heath gripped him like nothing else could and he wrapped his arms around Mike's waist again, creating as much connection between them as possible, lips trailing the naked shoulder.

"This… this is only ours… no-one else… I'll never let anyone hurt you again… let me protect you, Mikey… let me love you… You're mine and only mine…"

He didn't expect an answer, but he got it anyway, when he slowly started to move in and out the tight hole.

"Yours," Mike groaned when Jake pulled fully out and plunged in again, hitting the bundle of fuck inside him, making his body arch up and sing. With every slow thrust Mike felt like he melted a little bit more, every bit of tension leaving his body, until he was as liquid fire under the loving hands.

No force was applied, no roughness between them tonight. Jake showed him how love could decisively drive the demons away. No more words were spoken between them, only soft moans and pants filled the air, bodies rocked to meet the other, never once quickening the rhythm.

Nothing else mattered than the unique connection between them, the connection that Mike finally admitted to be love. Ecstasy raised through their veins, building higher and higher, reaching for a peak they'd never reached before. When Jake felt the eruption build strong inside his belly, he tenderly wrapped his hand around Mike's twitching cock, keeping the rhythm of his hand the same as the pace of his slow thrusts against the bundle of nerves. Mike slowly lost control, buckling his hips back, impaling himself on the thick cock, his inner walls clenching violently as he tried to keep his orgasm back for a few more seconds. Jake answered the frantic moves by thrusting harder and harder inside his man, until they both exploded only seconds apart, milking the other of every last drop of hot cum, screaming their lover's name so hard that it made the people downstairs in the lab look up and smile knowingly.

They slummed down the wall. Jake was suddenly too tired to support his own weight and dragged the limp form of the brunette down with him. He pulled Mike onto his lap and relaxed against the wall, while the hot water washed the sticky mess off their bodies.

Mike sighed, leant his head against Jake's strong shoulder and caressed his cheek.

"I needed that."

Jake wrapped his arms around his love and pulled him close, claiming Mike's lips for a sweet kiss.

"Me too… We needed this." He grinned to his lover, "And now I need that massage you promised me, everything hurts."

Mike slowly made his way to his feet, turned of the shower and wrapped himself in a soft towel, before throwing one to Jake.

"Maybe that will teach you not to fight with maniacs, or to go outside unarmed. That was really insane, of you and Barrett both."

Jake huffed slightly insulted. He felt stupid enough without Mike reminding him.

"Look who ruins the mood again."

A soft kiss left him breathless, the warmth in the blue eyes made his heart jump up into his throat. It was all the apology he needed. When they were both dry again, Mike pulled Jake after him and told him to lay down on the bed. And while his hands rubbed warm oil into the aching muscles, he opened up for the first time and told Jake all that was on his mind.


	8. Friends and Foes

**A/N: So… time for another chap. We decided to make the chaps a little shorter, hoping that this means that more of you feel like reading and reviewing. I don't feel like rambling right now, so I won't. Have fun reading it and please take the time to leave a few words about it!**

**WARNING: Only the usual, which means violence, bad language, mention of M/M love/sex whatever, mention of killing.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own no-one and I don't wanna make any assumptions about their real character of their sexual preferences. But oh my God, I want Mikey! I only own a sick mind, too much imagination and a crazy bunch of muses.**

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The sun was not even up yet, well it was, but Cody's eyes had not adjusted to it yet. The date had carried on till well after midnight with him and Randy just talking, enjoying each others company, kissing and touching, more talking and eventually Randy had even brought him back to the lab even though Ted was still with them. He had been the perfect gentleman and Cody could not have been more surprised. It was the Randy he had met many, many years ago. The same guy who had paid for his college, the same Randy he had gone to whenever he had had trouble with his family or with other kids at school, the same old Randy who had always been so caring, so nice, so sweet. Nothing of the monster had shined through, not even for a second.

The smile was still plastered on his face that morning; the formula that he was working on for weeks already was almost finished. He did not even feel the need for coffee this morning since he was on a natural high. Everything seemed to be perfect for once and there was only one more thing left to do for him to make his life complete… or well, to at least make him feel at ease.

The man he wanted to talk to appeared about an hour after he had come down to the lab, brunette hair messed up, eyes still puffy from sleep, corners of his lips hanging down. Mike had never been and would never be a morning person for sure. The only thing that told Cody that his friend was in a rather good mood was the gleam, the spirit, the sparkle in his eyes. Therefore, it was now or never.

"Morning sunshine!"

The older mans lips twitched up in a sleepy smile as he nodded his head at Cody, mumbling something that sounded a lot like "Morning" as he strut over to the kitchen to pour himself some coffee. Even though the young man had not felt the urge to drink the black death, he had prepared some for his best friend knowing that it might help lighten his mood… and it would make it easier for him to tell Mike what he wanted to tell him.

Cody got out of his chair, following the older brunette into the kitchen, little Teddy sleeping on the counter –a place the tiny ball of fur seemed to love ever since he had picked it up.

"Mike? Can I talk to you for a second? Before Ted comes over?"

The older man turned around, rubbing his eyes to free them from the sand of sleep, blinking a few times at his younger friend before nodding.

"Sure… yeah…"

He just hoped that Mike's mood would stay like this throughout their conversation and that –by the end of it- they would still be friends. Getting closer to him, he leant against the counter right next to his older friend, chewing on his lips for a while before taking a deep breath.

"The offer you got… from Regal… I can't do it."

Mike's brow arched up, his lips forming a frown, head slightly tilted to the side as he studied his friends expressions, trying to figure out if he was serious.

"Before you say anything… please hear me out, okay? Don't interrupt me before I'm finished."

Okay, that did sound serious. For some reason the older man had already an idea where this was going and he did not like it one bit, but out of respect, he just nodded for his friend to continue while he sipped at his coffee.

"I can't leave Randy. After last night I'm sure he can change. I'm sure I can help him somehow. You should have seen him last night… no sign of anger, no sign of rage, nothing. He was the perfect gentleman. You've already seen it two days ago… He already HAS changed. I'm not going to leave him alone here… I can't. I know what he's done to you… I can't apologize often enough for that… I should've seen it earlier, should've done something against it, should've stepped in… but I know that deep down inside he's still the same old Randy who's taken such good care of me when my family didn't anymore, the same Randy who was always there for me, for others even. I just KNOW it, Mike… and…"

He had heard enough. While Cody had been rambling, Mike's breathing had grown ragged, his fists clench tightly, cup almost bursting in his grip, his eyes flickering madly, wildly, his body heaving as his heart filled with rage.

"Cody… shut it. I don't wanna hear it, okay? I get your point. You don't wanna come with us. Fine."

The younger man could clearly hear the venom in his friends voice, could clearly see the rage in his face, flinching at the coldness that was suddenly filling the room. He pretty much knew, Mike would not like it, but he was surprised by just how deep Mike's hate really went.

"Just… please Mike… I'm sorry… you and Jake can go. I'll even cover for you… I'll keep Randy on track, away from the two of you. Whenever you wanna leave…"

A loud snort escaped Mike's lips. He could not believe how naive his friend really was, how blinded, how stupidly illusional. It was beyond belief.

Cody stopped his ramblings, staring down at his feet, tears building in his eyes at the reaction of his friend. He was sure now that he blew it, not only his friendship, but probably also the trust Mike always had in him.

"You know Cody… I always thought you were smart, that you could read people. How can you defend a guy like that. I admit, you seemed to have him on a leash, I have no idea how you got him to apologize, but a psycho on a leash is still a psycho."

"But… Mike… I really think I can change him!"

"Don't be so fucking naive. People DON'T change. But it's your life Cody. I won't be around to protect you when you find out how wrong you are."

He turned around to go back upstairs. He had heard enough to make him sick.

Cody bit his lips, he had hoped Mike would react a little more reasonable. He knew very well that the next thing he was going to say could mean the end of their friendship, but he needed to ask this, for himself, for Randy.

""One more thing, Mike… I… I don't know how to ask…"

Mike turned around again, meeting his friends eyes with so much cold venom, that it almost froze Cody as he swallowed hard.

"I know how much you hate Randy, despise even… and I know that Jake pretty much wants to kill him every time he sees him… I'd probably do the same if our roles were reversed… but… can you make sure that he won't do anything to Randy?"

Mike pulled a face, trapped between rage, despair and pity for his friend. A month ago the answer would have been easy. It would've been a simple no. But a lot had happened the last month and he had changed in more ways than one.

"How can you even ask me this? He beat me, he raped me, he humiliated me and worst of all he threatened Jake. It's more than hate that I feel for him. Do have you even the slightest idea what it will do to Jake if I ask this of him? What it will do to what to what I have with Jake? Do you want to take that from me, too?"

Cody shook his head and pulled Teddy into his arms. He softly caressed his ears as he looked up to Mike again.

"I know Mike… believe me I know. Call me crazy, but I love Randy… and I need him. Please gimme the chance to try things with him. I promise that he'll never touch you again."

Mike's features softened again and he sighed. The hurt in Cody's voice made him soft again. Even though he was not sure if Jake was going to listen this time, but he could at least try to do his best… for Cody.

He leant back for a short moment, before pushing himself away from the counter, taking another long sip from his coffee and sighing. Looking over at his friend, he even managed some sort of crooked smile, though he was shaking his head.

"I'll talk to Jake… but I can't promise you anything, Codes. And if Randy ever comes near me again, if he ever tries to hurt me or Jake, he's dead."

The weight falling from Cody's shoulders, the stone falling from his heart was heavy enough to destroy a house, the sigh of relief escaping his lips echoing through the lab and in an instant his arms wrapped around the surprised form of his friend, hugging him close, the older brunette almost spilling his coffee.

"Thank you!"

It was all Cody wanted to hear after all; it was the gesture he had wanted, that small sign that their friendship was still intact even though he had just betrayed Mike the worst way possible. They would be okay… and he was sure so would be Randy and him.

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Jake was surprised by the change of mood in Mike. He had woken up perfectly happy and disappeared downstairs to get some coffee for the both of them, and he came up again in an extremely foul mood and without coffee. He had all but barked at Jake to get ready and to call Wade when he could be here. Jake had hurried to his room to change and in the meanwhile he was trying to find the courage to ask Mike what the hell was bothering him.

When he came back Mike was pacing through his room, his fists clenching and unclenching and muttering under his breath. Jake hopped onto the windowsill on followed Mike with his eyes, feet dangling. He would first wait if Mike would speak spontaneously. After what felt like hours, but where only minutes, the brunette walked up to him and leant against his knees, hands kneading his thighs.

"Ah Jake… sometimes I feel like we're the only sane people left."

Jake chuckled, "You have a strange definition of sanity. What happened Mike?"

"Cody…" He never got to finish his sentence because of the insistent ringing of his phone. Mike sighed and gave his lover a final squeeze in his thighs.

With a brusk "yeah?" he answered his phone.

"Mizanin?" A sophisticated English accent sounded in his ear.

"Maybe… depends on who's asking." Mike was far from amused that someone managed to get his number.

A low chuckle was heard on the other side, "It's Regal who's asking. I wondered if you have thought about my offer."

"Ah William… I can't say it's bad to hear you… though I would like the name of the person who gave you my phone number."

"You should know better than to ask someone to disclose his informants, if only because I have the feeling that if I told you he wouldn't be around for much longer to give me information."

Mike couldn't help chuckling at this, Regal understood how things worked with him. "Never mind… I'll find out myself and then I'll let Jake have his fun with him."

Jake had no idea what this conversation was about, but grinned at the mention of his name and the prospect of killing someone.

"I have way more interesting people for your assassin to play with than one little snitch. At least if you'll join us."

"I will… soon. I've some loose ends to clear, some things I need to find out first. I'd say a few weeks, a month at the most. I can't get Runnels to come with me… but I have an excellent new goon and a more than adequate drug runner I wanna take with me. And Hager of course. I also will bring all the formulas I can. If your own chemist sucks like I think he sucks, seeing the amount of customers that have come over to us, I have a way to find one who knows what he's doing."

"Take them… I don't want Irvine to keep anything that is useful. Too bad of the chemist… I must say I hate leaving him with Chris. Can you kill him?"

"NO!" Mike barked. "No-one hurts that boy. Blow up the lab for all I care, but not with him in it… He's a good kid, a little naive sometimes, and he will be in enough shit as it is. I'm quite certain the business will implode soon anyway, as Chris and Randy will find out they're nowhere fit to run a criminal organization. I doubt they could even run a shoe store."

"You are pretty confident, aren't you, Mikey?"

"You know why you wanted me, right? Anyway… as you might remember I had one little condition before I joined you."

"Ah… I remember… the issue of my brilliant partner wasn't it? It will be taken care of, soon."

"Good… we'll talk later. Goodbye William."

"Bye Mike, it was as always a pleasure to talk to you."

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A little more than an hour later, everyone was gathered in the lab, awaiting Mike's instructions. Cody was still at his desk, formula in his hands, calculating it over and over until a big grin appeared on his handsome face and he let out a short squeal of success, everyone in the lab turning towards him as he waved the sheet of paper around.

"I finally have it!"

Mike's lips twitched up in a smirk, proud of his friend, their conversation from earlier that day forgotten for the moment as he winked at him. Teddy was leaning against the heavy iron-door, arms crossed over his chest, his thoughts completely elsewhere as he watched the younger man grin widely, even doing a small victory dance. In any other situation it would have had an effect on his package, but he was too frustrated than to care today.

Tomorrow he would have to get their money from Sheamus and he was sure that the man would not be really cooperative, not after what Mike had told them an hour ago. Sure, with Cena dead, they would have one problem less, but a pissed off Sheamus was not really something he wanted to deal with all by himself. And on top of that, his wife had not given him any in two weeks already. Not that he even wanted it. The thoughts of Cody spread out for him, underneath him, writhing for him, begging him to fuck him raw were constantly on his mind and it was driving him insane. Even his little visits at the "club" late at night were not helping him to forget about the young brunette. How wrong this all was in the name of god.

The next thing he realized was Cody embracing Wade –why him of all people was beyond his imagination- the young brunette's hands gliding up and down the tall ravenette's back, lingering on his ass for a while, even squeezing it, the grin on his lips turning into some sort of devilish smirk –one Ted only knew all too well.

Wade was surprised at first that Cody had chosen him to hug in celebration, but he did not mind one bit. The body of the smaller, younger man moulded against his just perfectly, the heat radiating from the brunette's body, the long, lean fingers kneading his buttocks almost as if they were made for it. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, not realizing the gleam in Cody's eyes as he rubbed his body against the one of the older man.

Jake and Mike were watching the scene in pure amusement Even though Jake did not like Cody a lot for the sheer fact that he was a weak little puppy for Chris and Randy, he had to admit that the little one knew exactly how to get what he wanted and when he wanted it. Mike let go of a chuckle, shaking his head as he watched Wade's hands almost automatically slide down Cody's back to his ass, squeezing it. Yeah, his young friend really knew how to lure people in, especially attractive guys.

Ted jumped a little as the heavy door he was leaning against opened, the tall, dark-tanned, tattooed male stepping inside, sunglasses once again hiding his eyes. The first thing Randy recognized was his boy in the arms of another guy, his lips –moments ago covered with a satisfied smile from the thoughts of their date last night- suddenly turning into a snarl, eyes –covered behind big, dark sunglasses- turning from a bright, sparkling blue into an icy-cold gray in a matter of a nano-second, his fists clenching at his side. Totally blocking out the others in the room, he stormed straight towards the embracing couple.

The smirks and grins on Mike's and Jake's lips instantly faded as they finally realized Randy in the room, seeing him preying Wade away from Cody by the collar of his shirt, using a force that send the tall ravenette stumbling backwards and onto the floor. The young brunette's grin turned into a frown as he laid eyes on his older lover, his boss, the tattooed man not even acknowledging him as he stood over Wade, pulling his sunglasses off, the glare he was giving his new employer cold as venom, making him gulp hard.

"Barrett!"

The cold, vicious growl escaping his lips echoed through the whole lab, Cody taking a few steps back as he chewed nervously on his lips not knowing how to handle Randy in that situation, not even knowing how to react or what to say. Jake on the other hand, was there in an instant, placing himself between the heaving Viper and the cowering friend he had made over the last day, muscular biceps crossed over his strong chest, standing nose to nose with his snarling boss.

"Get out of my way, Hager!"

Though his voice was calm, it still had an edge of venom in it, stern and cold as he held eye contact with the blond, not wanting to show any sign of weakness. Truth be told, Jake was the only guy in his life who had ever managed to scare him a little –the blonde's love for weapons, his almost mad behavior whenever he was in a fight, his cold and ruthless aggression- something Randy could not quite handle because he was so unpredictable.

"No way."

The hiss reached Randy's ears, the little button in his head snapping and before he even knew it, he was only an inch away from Jake, foreheads pressed against each others, insults flying back and forth, the worst of them –possibly- being "If you don't move, you're dead before the day ends.", but Jake did not budge one millimeter. The tension in the lab was deafening, Wade scrambling back up to his feet as his eyes stayed fixed on the two fighting figures, for a short moment Randy's gaze meeting his again.

"He's MY boy, Barrett… Don't you dare touch him again!"

It was the only sentence spoken towards Wade before Randy concentrated on Jake again, the blonde's motions and movements screaming nothing but "fight" as his boss got back into his face, his hands coming up to shove Jake backwards. What Randy did not count on was Jake pushing back and soon enough the two were in a brawl, neither of them wanting to back down. Fists were flying, muscles cracking, muscles bulging, pants filling the air, none of the other men knowing what to do or how to react, all of them too scared for their own lives to interfere. Everyone in the room knew how the two hotheads could get and this here was not even half the power, the rage they held inside.

"RANDY!"

As soon as Mike heard the voice of his young friend call out for his man, he found his own one back again, letting go of a long sigh before speaking up.

"Jake… Stop!"

Awkwardly enough, both man let their hands fall to their sides as soon as their boys' voices reached them, their chests heaving and falling, bodies covered in sweat as they stood eye-to-eye, staring at each others, growling, panting, fists clenching and unclenching. It was silent in the lab for a long while, the only noise coming from a snoring ball of fur in the kitchen. Cody's eyes were filled with tears –not only from disappointment, but also from rage and anger towards Randy's broken promise. Mike's eyes flickered back and forth between Jake and Randy to Cody, wishing that his young friend would not have been there right then since he knew that Jake would have won the fight –maybe even gotten a chance to finally kill that bloody bastard- if it had not been for his best friend ending it.

Ted only stood in the corner, motionless, emotionless as he took in the scene. He did not know whose side to take right now, even though Randy was his friend, he would have loved to see Jake beat him into a bloody mess –if only to finally get his chance with Cody. Now after seeing Randy's possessiveness towards the boy, he knew that every single step towards the young brunette would mean his death.

Once again, Wade had learned a lot about his new environment by spending only a few minutes in the lab. He was still trying to progress everything that had just happened –from the second Cody had hugged him to the moment right now, his eyes never leaving Jake and Randy for fear that one of them might lash out again.

The first one to move was, strangely enough, the young brunette who had –with his actions- started the whole scenario, the whole fight. And Randy did not even see it coming. As soon as Cody stood between them, his flat palm connected with Randy's cheek, the Vipers head snapping to the side as an effect of the force behind the slap. Instead of rising his head again, instead of smacking the young boy back, instead of going insane on him –like everyone in the room expected- Randy just held his cheek, head turned sidewards, features softening again, eyes turning back into the warm, ocean-like blue.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for his reaction, Cody's eyes filled with anger, frustration and disappointment as he glared up at him, arms hanging down at his sides, Jake taking a few steps back to give the couple the space they needed, not wanting to get in between the lines again.

It was as if the slap had snapped him out of his own little world, the short glance he had gotten of Cody's eyes a second before the palm connected with his cheek making his vision blur, the voice in his head getting drowned out by rationality and love. The minute he had seen Cody embracing Wade like that, the voices had returned, louder than ever before; the moment Jake had stood up to him they had lulled him in, telling him to kill that blond punk right then and there. However, the look in Cody's eyes, the hurt, the disappointment, the rage even, had brought him out of his daze.

Now, minutes later, he slowly raised his head again, tongue darting out to wet his lips, lashes fluttering as he blinked rapidly, his eyes trying to focus on his young lover again, swallowing down the big lump in his throat. The rage in his mind was completely gone, the tension in his bulging muscles loosened up, his vision clear as he locked eyes with the young brunette, hand still rubbing his cheek.

Cody did not move, his eyes, his features speaking more than a thousand actions or words, cold, tear-blurred blues staring at his lover, his friend, his boss as the other's mouth' hang open in silent wonder and surprise, a few gasps filling the air as Randy's other hand came up to softly stroke the brunette's cheek. Cody flinched under the touch, turning his head away from the older man, a huff escaping his pouty lips.

Letting go of a sigh, Randy glanced around the room, the stunned faces of the others snapping him back into Viper mode, his eyes turning gray once again, his jaw clenching, a hiss escaping him, muscles bulging, tensing as he glared at each and every one of them before leaning down to Cody and whispering a short but sincere "Sorry" in his ear and leaving the lab in a few quick, long strides.

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**Reviews please? I'll give you a muse! Tell me who you want and I'll send Jeri and crazy Randy out to catch it for you!**


	9. Deliveries

**A/N:**

**Mizzy: This chapter was loads of fun to write. One of the things I like most about writing this story is how sadistically I get to be. Hope you'll enjoy it too and will take the time to leave a little review. I gained myself a beta, this one isn't beta-ed yet just because we wanted to post now.**

**legacy_chick: Sorry for letting you wait so long. Blame it on me, my personal issues and my fucked up mind. We'll try to post a new chapter every 6-7 days from now on and would both be more than happy if you also check out our other stories.**

**WARNING: Bad language, human trafficking, violence, mention of M/M-love/sex.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own a wicked mind, a house (well, the bank does), a cat and... oh wait. That's not the point, right? I own no one, sadly enough.**

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**Chapter 9: Deliveries**

A good hour later they pulled in before the motel. The tension in the car was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Wade had tried to make conversation, but soon gave up and stared out the window instead.

Both Mike and Jake were still seething because of what Cody had asked of Mike. Cody had no idea how important the chance for revenge was for Jake, what exactly it meant to him. Randy was supposed to be his ultimate prey, the proof that he was the king of the jungle and refusing him that prey would be like telling him to bow down for a superior.

Cody also didn't know how much things had changed between the two lovers and that it wasn't as simple anymore as Mike forbidding Jake to kill Randy like it would have been a month ago. Cody has basically asked Mike to choose between his best friend and the man he loved and a part of Mike hated him for that. And the irony of it all was that Cody had done the same and chose his lover.

Mike knew for certain that Jake would be gone if he gave that command; Jake would obey and he might come back, but things would never be the same again. So he asked him, nicely. He explained why this was important for him and told Jake to use his own judgment. Jake had been furious, as furious as Mike himself was. But as always his rage lifted after a few minutes and cold-blooded venom came into his eyes. He promised to keep away from Randy as long as his unexplained good behavior endured and as long as he was still injured himself. But he swore that one day, the viper would be his and he wouldn't let anyone step between him and his prey.

When Mike nodded at those words, some of the anger lifted, but the tension in the muscled body stayed and the normally cheerful grin missed from his face. Now Randy had already exploded in Jake's face only moments ago, only moments after Jake had promised to stay away from him, Mike didn't think Jake would be able to keep his promise for long. Without Randy knowing it, he had already thrown his life away. The only problem was that Mike didn't want him to go after Randy before Jake was 100% fit. So he realized that he needed to give his lover someone to kill to keep him from exploding.

When they stepped out the car he squeezed the blond's biceps and whispered, "I'll let you kill John soon, okay babe? I know it won't be as much fun, but it's all I can give you right now."

Jake looked down into the sincere blues of his lover and sighed before flashing him a quick grin.

"I thought you wanted John yourself? That's your revenge, not mine."

Mike shook his head. "No matter how much fun it would be to slit his throat myself, it's more important that you're happy. I took Cena from you, didn't I? He was supposed to be yours. And I know how much you need some real-life target practice."

Wade chuckled when he heard the couple discussing murder this matter-of-factly - like they were discussing who would cook dinner tonight.

Jake leant down to brush his lips against his lover's. He knew how much Mike wanted to kill John himself and for him giving that up to make Jake happy meant the world to him.

"But first revenge part one. Let's get that little bug and deliver him to his new master shall we?" Mike threw a dazzling grin to the two big men and signaled them to follow him.

Ten minutes later they were on their way again, a bag with drugs and money exchanged for the gagged and securely bound young man who was now safely stuffed in the trunk. His tears did nothing to soften the three men, it only made them chuckle and mock him.

Matt was softly sobbing. Until now he had the feeling this was all a bad joke, he kept hoping that they would let him go any minute. Yesterday he had had a sack over his head and he hadn't seen his captures. But when he saw the blond and the smallest brunette, he knew he was in big, big trouble. The stories John had told him about these two had made his blood freeze. John had the tendency to overreact, so he hadn't even believed half of it. Considering his current situation, John might have been telling the truth this time. Matt was trashing in his bindings, hoping to come loose, praying that someone, some cop would hear the unexplained noises coming out the trunk and would investigate.

Poor Matt didn't know that in neighborhoods like this there were no heroic rescues, there was no cop you could trust. Those who weren't bought, stayed away from here fearing their lives. A guy like Matt, who wasn't from around here and with a boyfriend that was hated in this part of town, didn't stand a chance. No one would call the cops or reach out to help, no one would care.

For this reason the three men driving the car didn't care about the noises he made. His panic only helped their cause. The weaker Matt would be, the more panicked, the more his new master would like him.

The pulled in behind the building that was their agreed meeting place. It was a perfect place for a man as Glenn Jacobs to hide out. It was truly one of the worst places in town, anyone who didn't have business here avoided the place and anyone who had to be here minded only his own business and looked the other way. Even guys like Mike and Jake didn't come here unless invited. It was the kind of place where you were either heavily armed or dead. This particular street was made of deserted warehouses that the city counsel had wanted to demolish for ages now, but somehow didn't have the guts to do so. There was no sign of inhabitation of this particular building, but Mike knew he was at the right address.

Jake and Wade were the first out of the car, guns in hand, senses on full alert, checking if all was safe. Only then did Jake signal Mike to get out the car as well. Without hesitation Mike stalked towards the door, knowing very well that their arrival would already be noted and that the way they acted would mean they would be taken seriously.

He leant casually against the wall, not nearly as relaxed as he acted. He had never dealt with anyone this big before. Considering the information he gotten from Vicky, even Vince in his glory days was nothing but a petty thief compared with Glenn. The guy controlled multiple cities and he could take over theirs in a second if he wished. Mike was determined not to let that happen, or at least being included in the hostile take-over. This little deal was the first stepping stone to what hopefully would be a fruitful working relationship.

A quick sign of Mike's hand was enough for Wade to get the boy out the trunk and for Jake to step behind Mike. The brunette was all business now, cocky, commanding and radiating self-confidence. Both Jake and Wade had their professional faces on too. They knew what they could expect and understood the danger involved.

When Wade had the thrashing boy hauled over his shoulder, Mike knocked on the wooden door without a moment hesitation. They were left waiting for a few minutes. Mike had expected this so he leant against the wall again, staring into the nothing, a small smirk on his face. Jake and Wade stood tall and on alert, every now and then checking the surroundings for any sign of danger.

Suddenly the door opened and a heavily muscled man opened the door. Mike gave the man a piercing look, not intimidated for one moment. This man was muscle, nothing more. No intelligence spoke out of his watery blue eyes; his shaven head and his fake scowl made him look like the village idiot. The heavy Southern brawl did nothing to lessen this effect. Wade and Jake eyed the man and wrote him off the same moment. All three of them knew that this guy opened the door because he was expendable.

"You're Mizanin? The boss expects you."

Mike nodded and passed the gate-keeper without waisting another second on him. Jake and Wade were admitted behind him. He entered a dimly lit corridor, obviously designed this way to keep anyone coming from outside as a disadvantage. There were two more men guarding the door, by the look of them they were twins. They were a little taller than Mike, nasty looks adorned their darkly-tinted faces and the look in their piercing black eyes was guarded as they checked out Jake and Wade, obviously not regarding Mike as a threat. Boy, were they wrong. The twins signaled him to follow them and they guided the three through a maze of corridors and stairwells before arriving on what Mike assumed was the top floor.

They halted before a closed door, yet again guarded by two huge men. They were at least seven foot tall, eyes quickly measuring up the three men before them. These were the first that Mike saw as a real threat. The bald man was nothing short of a giant, obviously well muscled despite his weight, his fist must be the size of Mike's head. The blue eyes were menacing and a denigrating smirk displayed around his lips while he stroked his goatee. The other was as tall, but much fitter and a bit older. He had long, dirty black hair and also sported a goatee. The man was dressed all in black and had an intimidating presence. Mike had to repress a shudder when he saw the cold and calculated expression in the ice-blue eyes and he had to force himself not to avoid the piercing gaze. He suddenly understood why their weapons weren't taken from them yet. They had no chance to get past these two, armed or not.

"Weapons, please." The dark man partly asked and partly commanded in a coarse voice.

Without hesitation Mike gave up his gun. Jake did doubt for a moment. He had the feeling this operation was more dangerous than Mike had imagined and he suddenly wished his love had found a less risky way of taking revenge. The raised eyebrow of the brunette was enough for Jake to give up his resistance and he handed the ravenette his precious weapon. The man examined the gun with obvious admiration.

"This is army stuff. Where did you get this? We've been after stuff like this for ages."

Mike absentmindedly waved his hand even though his mind was reeling with the possibilities. He needed to find out who Randy's contact in the navy was. Maybe Wade could come in use there.

"There's more where that came from. We can supply you with about anything you want, as long as it fits in the trunk of a car."

"I'll talk to my brother about this. Now let's bring him his toy. I have a feeling he's gonna like him."

While they were talking the bald giant had walked up to Wade who still had Matt hoisted on his shoulder. The goon stroked the crying boy's cheek with one finger and smiled as Matt's eyes widened and he started thrashing again.

"He's cute," he chuckled. "The boss is gonna love him. This one is gonna make a great sub for his collection."

Matt almost choked on his next sob. He finally realized that this wasn't a crude joke; he was being sold to some unfamiliar man. This was so sick it made him gag.

The dark man knocked on the door and after a crude "yes" he opened the door and motioned Mike to follow him. When Jake and Wade wanted to follow him, the giant stopped them.

"One can come."

Mike realized it was already a huge privilege that he was allowed to bring one bodyguard with him, so he didn't complain and without having to think about it he signaled Jake to follow him. Wade put the cowering kid down and Jake grabbed him by the back of the neck, forcing him to stand and shoved him forwards through the door. Their eyes immediately focused on the bald man sitting behind his desk, who was seemingly unaware of their entrance. It was easily recognized as the trick that it was, a way to make people nervous.

Mike immediately took on a bored expression himself and walked towards the window, staring out of it, at the same time turning his back to everyone in the room. It took minutes before the large man unfolded himself from his chair and focused his attention on his visitors. A smile had reached his lips when he realized the young brunette was doing exactly what he had been doing - pretending like he didn't care. It impressed him. Not many people had the guts to do this in his presence.

"You have balls, Mizanin. Coming to find me when I haven't invited you to this challenge. And I'm impressed that you managed to find out who I was, what I wanted and how to find me."

Mike turned around to meet scary eyes, that were the lightest blue he'd ever seen and had a familiar insanity flickering deeply inside. Not much saner than Randy, Vicky had said. This was no man to piss off and live.

"I have my sources, Mr. Jacobs and I know an opportunity when I see one."

"Me and your boss, Chris Irvine, we have a very unpleasant history. I can't imagine he'd agree on you coming anywhere near me." Glenn raised an eyebrow at the cocky young man.

"I might work for Chris at the moment, but I'm very much my own man and I don't need to tell him of every small thing I do. This is a personal issue."

"Personal he? And what's so personal about it?

"The boy," Mike grinned. "Let's just say I don't like his boyfriend very much, and he had just pissed me off one time to many when I heard of your challenge. Well, one and one equals two."

Glenn threw his head back and roared with laughter. "You're pretty ruthless, aren't you? I can appreciate that. Imagine, selling someone boy off for revenge. That's one I never heard before. Most people just kick someone head in."

"Been there, done that for the last 20 years. It didn't work, so now it's time for a something a little more… how shall I put it… permanent."

"Permanent?"

An evil smirk appeared on Mike's face, mirrored exactly on Jake's.

"I'm gonna make him suffer and go crazy wondering where this little bug has gone to. Then I'm gonna lure him in with information, give him some hope again. After that I'm gonna tell him exactly what happened. And to top it all off I'll let Jake here kill him, slowly if I have anything to say about it."

His ice-cold blues stared into the huge green eyes of his victim. Matt had paled and now hung weak in Jake's grip. He was close to fainting, trying to shut out the amused voice of his lover's nemesis.

"Yes, Matti. It's that boyfriend of yours that you can thank for the way you'll spend the rest of your life. Though it can't be worse than being fucked by Hennigan. Personally, I love my men big and strong."

He winked at his lover that had an amused grin on his face. He sensed no more danger here now Mr. Jacobs seemed to like Mike and had relaxed a little bit.

"Let me see what you brought me. Untie him."

With swift movements of the blade that the dark bodyguard produced Matt's bindings were cut loose. A quick snap of Jake's wrist pulled the ductape from his mouth. His legs folded under him so he fell on hands and knees. Jake wanted to pull him up again, but Glenn signaled him to leave it.

"I like it when they kneel for me. This one is born to submit. I wonder if his boyfriend realized his true potential." He towered over the cowering boy that kept his eyes focused on the shoes of his new master. "Look at me, boy!"

Matt was trembling when he raised his head to obey the man and cringed when he met the insane eyes. He had thought that Mike was bad but the dominance radiating from this man made him want to cower and crawl into a hole somewhere. A cold chuckle was heard when Glenn took in the terrified look on the handsome face.

"Stand up and let me look at you properly."

When Matt didn't obey soon enough, Glenn backhanded the boy through the room. Matt held his cheek, tears falling freely, desperation quickly seeping in.

"NOW!"

Again Matt didn't listen quickly enough and Glenn grabbed the kid by his throat, nearly choking him while he dragged him up.

"I'm not gonna be this nice if I have to tell you again. We're gonna do this, whether you like it or not. It's your choice how hard you're it gonna make it before you completely submit to me. You are gonna be so much fun. I will enjoy breaking you, sweetheart."

With a quick snap of one hand he ripped the t-shirt of Matt's chest and let that hand glide over the muscled chest and abs.

"And he's in perfect shape. What a perfect toy you've found me, Mizanin. What did you say his name was?"

"Matt."

"I already have a Matt. Your name is Evan now. And you will call me Master." A grin crossed his face when the crying boy managed a quick nod. "Mark, can you take him and lock him up for me? I will see to him later. And rearrange everything to leave the day after tomorrow. There's no need to stay all week when some smart kid can meet the challenge that he wasn't even supposed to know about in two days."

"Yes, Glenn," the eldest nodded his head to his brother. "By the way, they might have some more interesting stuff to sell." He threw Jake's gun on the desk and left the room.

"Hmm… So you don't only bring me the most interesting sub that I've seen in ages, but you can also sell me decent guns? Sit down man and have a drink with me. We'll talk business. I have the feeling you and I will see each other more frequently in the future. But one condition… I only work with you. If I ever see Chris, he's dead."

Mike smirked, "I'll remember it Mr. Jacobs. We can't have that happening can't we?"

"Call me Glenn… I like you, kid.

A good two hours later they stood outside again. Jake was carrying a big bag filled with more money than they ever imagined earning on one job. Mike had agreed on the sale of all the weapons they still had in storage and they would meet them tomorrow to deliver the goods. Glenn would also call him whenever he needed more weapons or anything else.

Jake weighted the heavy back with a goofy grin on his face. More than a quarter of a million for a job that took less than two days; the profit they would make on the weapons would be double from what they had expected, for the simple promise that Glenn would get first pick of every new shipment. Mike position was skyrocketing and he would take Jake up with him. Offhandedly Mike had advertised Jake's skill as an assassin and Jake almost burst from pride when Glenn had heard of him. He even had a nickname for him - the blond shadow - and had promised to try him for a job anytime soon.

They drove to a deserted parking lot where Mike divided the money into four bags.

"Seventy-five for you, Wade. Seventy-five for Jake, a hundred for me and Chris and Randy can play with the fifty that's left. And the nice thing is that we'll have another hundred and fifty to divide tomorrow after we sell the weapons."

He turned to Wade who stared wide-eyed at the bag of money in his lap. He was used to getting a bonus at a job well done, but this was a first.

"This is how I work, Wade. You help me make money and I make that worth it for you. The only thing I ask in return is your loyalty and your silence. I trust you, so I include you in this. Beside Jake, no-one knows and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way."

"But… what about Randy and Chris? Don't they notice?"

Wade shuddered from the memories of the psychotic tattooed man that had snapped on him this morning. Randy was not someone he wanted to cross. He had locked eyes with Mike, fingers stroking the crispy paper.

"Bah… they… they get exactly what they expect to earn and that's more than they would get if I wasn't around. So are you in?"

Wade nodded eagerly, he was in this for the money after all and this first bonus topped his yearly salary.

"Good… for you I mean."

Wade looked to the right when he saw a movement in the corner of his eyes and he suddenly realized that Jake had a gun pointed at him.

"Put that thing away, Jake. I told you he could be trusted. Beside I hate getting blood in my car. I just bought this thing. It would be a shame if I had to ditch it again."

"Nothing personal, Wade. I just prefer Mike in one piece and no way he's gonna stay that way when Chris or Randy ever find out what happens with a part of what they see as their money."

"It's okay, I understand. But you guys are surely protective of your lovers, first Randy and now you, Jake. Is there anyone safe left to fuck?"

Jake and Mike looked at each other and started laughing.

"Just Chris. I have the feeling he'd like Wade here, don't you think Jakey?"

* * *

Mike barged into Chris' office without knocking. Wade and Jake were on his heels.

Chris had been staring at the same contract for ages but couldn't quite understand what he was supposed to do with it. Maybe that last pill hadn't been such a good idea. He took another large sip of his whiskey to solve this problem, but somehow the letters only wobbled more. He startled when the three men stormed into his office and squinted his eyes at the intruders, willing the room to stop spinning so he could count them.

A goofy grin appeared on Chris when he recognized his visitors, at least two of them.

"If it isn't the beauty and the beast. Are you here to get some more? I knew you'd start missing me soon."

Mike and Jake let out an annoyed sigh at the drunk ramblings of their boss. It was yet another thing they wouldn't miss. Wade was standing a few feet back trying to figure out what was between those two and their boss. One thing was certain, Irvine seems to like them a lot more than they liked him. The gleam of lust and something more was obvious in the eldest's eyes as he checked out the brunette. Suddenly Chris noticed Wade and stumbled up to him.

"And what have we here? It's another beast. Or another beauty? I can't decide. A beautiful beast I think. Did you bring him for me, Mikey? That is so sweet of you."

"This, Chris, is Wade Barrett, our new hit man. Please don't scare him away, he's pretty useful."

"Ah Mikey… you're so mean to me. There was a time that you liked me, that you kept coming back for more."

Chris wanted to grab Mike's ass, but Jake was quick in hitting his hands away.

"We made a deal, Irvine! We kept our part of it. Now keep your dirty hands off him."

Chris pouted and turned back to Wade.

"Do you hear how they treat their boss, Wade? No respect for authority! Do you have respect for authority, Wade?"

Wade grinned down on the blond that had his hands all over his chest. He was a little sloppy, but cute at the same time. Now he couldn't have Cody, this might be interesting. He liked older men and the experience they brought into bed. Slowly he ran his hands down Chris' side and to his hips.

Mike sighed annoyed and scraped his throat. He was in a good mood and wouldn't let Chris ruin that by having to witness him make out with someone. He also questioned their new man's taste. He wanted him to make Cody forget about Randy, not sucking up to Chris.

"We brought you a little present, Chris. And no… I don't mean Wade."

He threw the bag of money on the desk. Chris reluctantly ripped himself away from Wade to turn to that desk and zipped the bag open. Blinking confused he peered at the money inside. He took one pile of 100 dollar bills and sniffed them. The smell of money always sobered him up.

"Where did you get this? I didn't send you on a job today."

"Let's just say I sold some stolen property. I also sold all the weapons and we will deliver them tomorrow."

Chris frowned thinking hard. He hated it when someone made him feel dumb and incompetent. The blond knew very well that it was Mike that kept the business running, but he liked it a lot more when Mike sucked his dick while giving him advise. In the past Mike had at least pretended that Chris made the decisions.

He blamed Jake for this change in his employee. He wanted the brunette back, no-one could satisfy him like that, nothing felt like Mike mouth working on him, no-one writhed beneath him like that boy. In his drugs-affected brain formed a brilliant plan, at least that was what Chris thought. If only he could lure Jake away from Mike, if he could make Jake cheat on Mike, his boy would surely come crawling back. A demented grin formed around his lips and he focused all his attention on Mike again.

"Do I want to know what you sold? And who you sold it to?"

Mike shook his head. "Vicky gave me a tip." He knew that only the mention of that name was enough to to make Chris stop asking.

"Vicky he? How much did you have to pay her for her information?"

"We're gonna let her borrow Nick for a few days a week. The guy sells more than Cody can make, so we can miss him on the streets. In the end… it cost us nothing and it saves us a lot of trouble. This client is also interested in buying more weapons if we can supply them."

"Why won't you tell me who it is, Mikey?"

"Because, boss, the guy's one of the many people that you rubbed the wrong way somewhere in the past. If I tell you who he is, you might forbid me to do business with him and that will cost us an easy sale and will cost you two hundred grand right into your pocket tomorrow. Plus the weapons leave town, which means that no-one can shoot us with the stuff we sold them ourselves and there's less chance of anything getting traced back to us."

Chris was already bored. The effort of listening to Mike talk when all he could think about what that cock-sucking lips could do to him was too much. He waved with his hand to shut Mike up.

"It's okay… just do whatever you want and bring me the money. But I need Jake tonight."

"Jake is still injured, so you better take Wade. We can't have you in danger, can't we Chrissy? We had another collision with Cena and Farrely yesterday. I shot Cena by the way, so he won't bother us again."

"Too bad… I was looking forward to spending some time with your darling-lover. After that little threesome we had, I'm really starting to understand what what you see in him."

He grinned taking in the similar scowls that formed on the lover's faces. Mike might know how to manipulate people, but he knew how to piss people off like no-one else could.

"I'll see you here at eight, Wade."

Mike shrugged, while he tried to hide the rage that enveloped him now he saw the way Chris was checking out Jake. He knew he shouldn't be scared that Jake would cheat on him. He knew how much Jake hated Chris. He knew that Jake was entirely his, but a small snail of doubt crept into him anyway. Chris had his ways to get what he wanted and he got that most of the time.

* * *

Thankfully the last day had been easy for him, silent, no work besides watching the lab. Even though that had meant to once again spend 24 hours –or rather 18- with Cody, he had felt at ease, more than ever before when being around the young brunette. After Randy's outburst the last morning and Cody's shell, the young man had not been a big talker. Forgotten had been the formula he had finally finished, forgotten had been the games he was usually playing with Ted. It had even scared the blond a little to see Cody like this just because he was not used to that situation. Cody had never before been like that, cold, stern, quiet, especially not towards him, especially not when they were alone.

He had been at the lab when the others had come back from whatever they had been doing, all smiles and laughs. Sure, Ted had been suspicious then, but who was he to question Mike or in fact even Jake or Wade? Sometimes it was definitely better not to know anything about what was going on.

Shaking his head, he straightened up, his eyes fixing on the old, decayed house. He had more important things to do now. It was a little after noon and he had left the lab an hour ago to do his job, to get the money, their money, back from Stephen. One of the two who had stolen their precious drugs a few weeks ago, the one who was still alive. It had been easy to talk to Mike about it, seeing that the older brunette was probably even glad to get rid of him, was probably even hoping for Stephen to kill him. He never really got why that punk was hating on him. He was doing his job, not only good but near brilliant, he had never talked up to him or even Jake, had always done what they had wanted. Nonetheless he could not get rid of the feeling that Mike would rather see him dead soon than letting him stay around for much longer.

He had thrown one of those little blue pills in which Cody always gave him before a job, not trusting his own nerves on that special case, not today, not with a psycho like Farrelly on hunting season, out for revenge. This time he had even covered himself up with two of their finest weapons, not only thinking, but knowing that his brassknuckles and his stars would not be enough for a man like Stephen. His orders were clear and simple: get the money from him, each and every penny, and bring it straight back to Chris. He chuckled a little as he thought back to all his assassins and jobs so far, realizing that this must have been the first, the only time that he had gotten an order from Chris instead of Mike. Usually he had always followed the older brunette when it came to business.

Taking another deep breath, he checked for his guns again, making sure they were both loaded and ready to shoot. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he thought about the possible appreciation and possible reward he would get for the job. He knew for a fact that he could beat Stephen as long as the man did not take him by surprise. From what Jake and Wade had told him, or hinted at, Farrelly was probably badly banged up from their encounter two nights ago, plus the shot hand he still had from two weeks ago, he would certainly be no match for him… if he could make the first move.

Finally setting his foot into the house, he was surprise to find it as neatly as can be. There were no signs of the chaos from two weeks ago anymore. It looked cleaned from bottom to top, no smell of urine or thrown up but the scent of fresh vanilla filled the air. It was as if he had stepped into a different house, different sphere even. Looking around the room, he closely listened to any sound made, trying to figure out if Farrelly was even home or if it had all just been a set up, but the moment this idea came to his mind, the slightly older red-head came slowly stalking down the stairs, their eyes locking, the friction, the tension between them so burning that it made both of them shiver.

Though Ted knew better than to let his guard up, he could not help but to realize a change to the tall man. He looked worn out, beaten up, not only physically but also mentally, his eyes seeming dull and lifeless, each one of his steps looking painful as he strode over toward Ted, a white envelop in his hands. Minutes –that almost felt like hours- later, Stephen stood before him, a broken man as he seemed. Until now Ted had never spend a thought to how much, to WHAT Cena had eventually meant to the Irish Man, for the simple fact that he never cared. For him –even though he was raised different- Farrelly and Cena had never been more than two scumbags, two dirty little addicts, two no-good bastards. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought about looking behind the façade of two of their biggest foes.

Ted could not help but to feel guilt running through his veins, guilt for them injuring Cena and Farrelly two weeks ago, for his so-called friends, his partners, killing Cena, for being in that business at all, for dealing with drugs and guns, for the violence and ruthless aggression surrounding him.

Obviously Stephen could see his change in behavior, his guilt, his doubt; the smug look returning to the Irishman's face, smirk gracing his lips as he built himself up in front of Ted.

"Ya came fow the money, Ah guess?"

The younger man snapped out of his trip, finally looking the redhead dead in the eyes, nodding his head as he took in Stephen's changed expression. 'He better not set me up,' it was all that went through the blonde's head, as he spoke while looking the tall man over.

"Ten thousand. You can be lucky that our bosses didn't put interests on it… especially after what happened two days ago."

His voice sounded as stern and cold as possible. After all he was a pro; he did never let anyone see his true emotions –at least never his opponents. Glancing back up at Farrelly's face, he smiled. The man was certainly unarmed for what he could see. Maybe killing Cena had not been as bad as he thought; maybe it had even changed the man standing in front of him to the better.

The only answer he got was a nod of Stephen's head, expression changed again to one of a broken man, and the envelop exchanging hands. While counting the money, Ted made sure to keep the redhead in his line of vision, glancing at him after every second note. The guy sure was a changed man. There was nothing left of that smug, cold, stoned and ruthless bastard from two weeks ago. Smirking mildly, Ted put the envelop in his back-pocket, looking around the room one last time, the thick, heavy voice of his counter-part almost startling him.

"Ya can tell Irvine and Orten that Ah won't botha them anymow. I've sold the house awlready and will leave town tomorrow. There's nawthing that keeps ma here anymow."

Now, that really surprised him and he actually had to check his ears to see if he did not just hear wrong.

"You're leaving town?"

"Yeah… why? Ya nawt happy?"

Despite trying to keep on his mask, they both ended up smirking at each other, holding back respective chuckles as the redhead glanced at his shoes.

"There's really nawthing left fow me here."

The sudden sadness, the pain, the vibrations in his voice lead to a sigh escaping Ted's lips, the young man raking a hand through his hair.

"Well then… it was nice making deals with you."

Even though it was meant as a joke, none of them was in the mood to laugh, though Stephen managed some sort of cracked smile, nodding his head as Ted retreated out of the house.

Still not trusting the older Irishman, he looked back at the house at every other step, making sure the situation was clear as he made his way towards safe territory. Hands gliding to his guns to check if they were still there –more out of habit than out of fear- he sighed, shaking his head.

Instead of thinking about Stephen's misery and feeling guilty, he was already trying to plan out a story for Mike and the others. If he told them the truth, they either would not believe him or they would mock him for not just killing Stephen to make sure he is really out of the way. So maybe… He grinned widely to himself, the plan already forming in his head. And after that, he would finally tell Cody the truth about Randy and his past… The young boy would be his soon, only his and no one would make a joke out of him ever again.

* * *

**Reviews please or my muses will come and find me. Most of all my Evan-muse: he's so scary, you won't believe.**


	10. Secrets

A/N

Legacychick: First off, thank you all so much for sticking with us that long. Thanks for all the great reviews (though they seem to get less... and we wonder why) and the suggestions, etc. We appreciate each and every one of them.

Me: Yes we do, a lot. We also wanna thank out muses, who inspire us, at least when they're not stoned, drunken, on a sugar rush or out killing people. And of course my new Beta: soul of a fire dragon, for sorting out the grammar in this thing.

Legacychick: Which happens a lot as of late. *huffs* Anyways. Here is the long awaited next chapter. The one many, many, MANY of you waited for you.

Me: So we will stop our rambling now, so you can read on and have time to leave us a nice long review!

WARNING: hot, steamy SEX and mentions of incest and rape

DISCLAIMER: We don't think anything like this would ever happen. Dear reader: this is not real. We made it up in our insane minds and with the help of our even insaner muses. Having said this, I wouldn't mind watching Mike and Jake having sex (I warned you, sick mind) *drift off in happy fantasies*

Legacychick: Well, that was Mizzy, cause for all who know me, I'm rather dreaming about some smexi Candy and/or Codiasi. Now on to the chapter.

**

* * *

Chapter 10 Secrets**

His plan had worked, somehow at least.

"So… you've beaten Farrelly into a bloody gulp and made sure he took the next train out of town?"

Of course, Mike's voice was incredulous, brows arched in surprise, eyes shimmying in disbelief.

"Yeah, I followed him to the station and waited till the train departed."

They did not need to know that after his peaceful encounter with Stephen he had gone straight to church to confess to pastor Brooks.

"Well… I never thought I'd say this… but… good job, DiBiase."

Mike had even managed a cracked smile, money still in his hands after he had counted it. Though Ted knew that Mike –as well as Jake and Wade who were standing across the room, busy packing the guns for Glenn- probably did not trust his whole story, but what could they do to prove that he was lying? Farrelly was either gone already or on his way out.

That had been a good hour ago and since then a lot had happened… a lot being "Cody". Why he had finally given in, he had no idea. Maybe it had been the rush of adrenaline cursing through his body –from the job done and the plan working-, maybe it had been the pill he took, maybe the sexual frustration from not having had any in weeks, but probably it had just been his weakness that made him finally subside when Cody had lured him upstairs.

"You should get a reward for your great job, Teddy… don't you think?"

All common sense, all thoughts of Randy and the effects, and the punishment ahead of him fled the moment Cody had pressed him against his door, their lips locking in a heated, sloppy, needy kiss. The young man's skilled fingers were on his zipper before his brain even realized what was happening or what he was doing… and now it was too late.

They were on Cody's bed, only his boxer shorts keeping them from bare flesh-on-flesh contact. Cody's lips tasting the whole of his torso, licking, kissing, teasing and biting, the young man's hands kneading and rubbing his thighs. It was as if he was in a whole other world, mind blanked out; all he could concentrate on were those smooth, full lips on his hot skin, cooling it, showering it.

Cody was grinning like a little kid at Christmas while he worked his way down Ted's body. The blond had not even realized that the pill Cody had given him before his meeting with Stephen, had not been the usual one. It had been one of those pills Cody had worked on for weeks… its biggest effect: make people lose their willpower. And damn, it was working well.

Finally eye-level with Ted's groin, he glanced up and saw the older man coming undone –eyes shut tight, lips pressed together, cheeks flushed, hands tightly fisting the sheets beneath. Licking his lips, he hooked his fingers into the blonde's waistband, lowering the black boxer shorts as far as possible, the bulging, throbbing length resting against ribbed abs, tip glistening with pre-cum. Even though Randy's was bigger, Cody had to admit that this was surely the most perfect and thickest cock he had ever seen. It would definitely stuff him fully.

The first tentative lick made Ted gasp out, his whole body shuddering. When those full, soft lips wrapped around his engorged head, he had to bite his lip hard to keep from crying out.

Cody knew he was good in giving head, but seeing Ted writhe and thrash underneath him after only a few actions boosted his ego substantially. Placing his hands on the blonde's thighs to keep him from thrusting up, he took him in inch by inch, the corners of his lips stretching and burning as they tried to take that thick girth until it hit the back of his throat. Swirling his tongue around the pulsing base and deliberately gagging around it, his eyes stayed fixed on Ted's pleased features, watching the elder mans lips move in what he supposed was a silent prayer. Cody grinned, relaxing his throat enough to take all of Ted in, starting to suck and swallow around him, his wide palms massaging the blonde's thighs travelling further to the inner sides.

Ted was so completely lost in the sensations that he almost forgot to breathe, gasping for air as he felt Cody's tongue massage the underside of his cock as he bopped his head up and down.

Three of his fingers came up to run along Ted's lips, the blonde's eyes fluttering open in surprise, gaping down at the brunette in his lap, questioningly arching his brows. Cody let go of the throbbing length with a loud "blop", blowing on the reddened head as he smirked up at the older man, fingers still running along his bottom-lip.

"Suck 'em, Teddy… make them nice and wet!"

Even though he did not know what to expect next, Ted obliged –his brain was not functioning anyways- taking the fingers into his mouth, slicking them up, trying to mimic the actions Cody had been practicing only seconds ago on his painfully hard girth. Sucking, licking and drenching them in saliva, their eyes stayed locked, Cody wetting his swollen, plump lips and smirking up at the blond before withdrawing his fingers and running them over Ted's torso, his other hand slowly jacking him.

Hips bucking into Cody's fist, Ted was mesmerized by his actions, heart racing a hundred miles per hour, sweat covering his forehead, muscles trembling, eyes watching –fascinated- as Cody's fingers, one by one, disappeared between those tight, ample cheeks of the young brunette. One by one breaching his tight ring of muscle, Cody's head fell back, his lips opened in a silent scream of pleasure, prominent cheekbones flushed. Ted's cock twitched and throbbed against his abs, his breath hitched as he watched Cody skillfully working his digits in and out of his body, thoroughly fucking himself with them.

Scrambling underneath Cody to get his boxers completely off, he groaned at the mere image above him. Throwing every last doubt aside, he roughly grabbed Cody's hips, throwing him onto the bed and eliciting a surprised squeal from the young man as his back hit the sheets. Before the brunette's mind could even grasp what was going on, Ted plunged his thick, heavy length inside of the tight, hot walls, stretching him completely.

A cry of pain escaping his lips, Cody's nails dug into Ted's back, scratching him to find something to ground him as the blonde's head fell forward, nose nuzzling in the crook of Cody's neck, breathing heavy and uneven. The feeling of those constricting, tight and rough walls surrounding him made his hips buck uncontrollably for a while until he managed to pull himself together, looking into Cody's eyes to see them sparkling with lust, the tears of pain already dried.

Thrusting his hips up against Ted, he managed to get him to move, slowly at first; Ted pulling out almost completely before thrusting back in to the hilt, his eyes glued to his girth appearing and disappearing in that tiny, red hole. Even though he knew it was wrong, it felt so good, so right, and so heavenly. Closing his eyes, biting his lips harshly to keep himself from screaming, Ted placed his hands on either side of Cody's head to hold himself up, the younger mans hands on his shoulders, his legs wrapped around the blonde's hips, heals urging him on, leading him.

"God Cody… so tight and hot… so good."

It were the first spoken words from the blond since they had come to Cody's room, voice trembling with need and lust, panting as he quickened his pace immediately, knowing already that he would not last long.

Sensing that Ted did not know what to do, Cody's hands slithered down between them, taking hold of his already leaking cock to pump it in time with Ted's thrusts. The groan escaping Ted's lips when he laid eyes on Cody's weeping cock reverberated around the whole room and his thrusts grew even harder as his lips found Cody's, devouring his mouth, ravishing it, hands using the headboard for leverage as he plunged in and out the lithe body, feeling the heat rising inside of him.

Before he could reach his peak, Cody snapped his hips up rather harsh, throwing Ted off and rolling him onto his back. Eyes wide with surprise, the blonde's lustful growl turned into a loud groan as the brunette lowered himself down on the thick girth again, mewling wantonly "Fuck Teddy… so huge… tearing me… so good…" before starting a rhythm of his own, taking a still surprised Ted's hand and leading it to his throbbing cock. "Touch me, Teddy… make me cum on you… all over you!"

Swallowing nervously, Ted's hand took hold of him –trembling- starting a slow pace up and down Cody's length, eyes glued to those perfect, angelic features as the brunette rode him hard, strong thighs lifting himself up before letting himself drop down again, circling his hips, wailing, mewling, moaning. Ted was so still that Cody almost feared that the pill stopped working and he would freak out any second, but as soon as they locked eyes again, Ted wet his lips before a growl of pent up frustration left him and his hips started to snap up in that heavenly heat, harder, faster, deeper than before, hand furiously pumping Cody towards completion.

A strangled cry escaped Cody's lips as Ted hit his prostate and only a few more thrusts later, he bucked uncontrollably, stream after stream of hot, white cum shooting out of his ample girth and covering Ted's chest as Cody threw his head back with a pleased scream of Ted's name –probably alerting everyone on the second floor of what they were doing.

Ted almost forgot to breathe as those already tight walls started to spasm around him, massaging him, hands firmly holding onto Cody's hips, thrusting up into the willing, spent body once, twice, three times before an unearthly growl slipped past his lips. "Ohmygod Codes… Oh god… Fuck…" Seconds later, he filled the young man on top of him completely, hips bucking frantically, eyes fluttering shut as his head fell back.

Cody leaned forward, already back down from his post-orgasmic high, brushing his lips over those of Ted as he smirked down at him. The blonde tried to steady his breathing, tried to slow his heartbeat, tried to calm his muscles and his mind, eyes still shut tight as he felt his spent length slip out of Cody's abused hole.

It was now or never.

"Codes?"

"Yeah?"

Opening his eyes again, he realized that he was alone on the bed and rolling onto his side, he saw the reason for it: Cody was already getting dressed again. Arching a brow, he contemplated on whether to ask him what he was doing or to tell him about Randy's past. It would definitely get him another step closer to what he wanted and after what had just happened; surely it would not need a lot more, right?

"There's something you need to know… about Randy… and his past…"

Before he could continue though, Cody was fully dressed again and his lips covered those of the blond with a big grin gracing his still flushed face.

"Sorry Teddy, that has to wait. I've a date with Randy in a few. He wants to apologize. You can use the shower if you want to, but don't wait for me. I'll see you tomorrow at the lab."

He did not even have time to react, not even time to contemplate what Cody had just said, because the young man was already out the door when he finally opened his lips to speak.

* * *

When Cody arrived at Randy's office almost twenty minutes later, he was still pumped up with adrenaline, satisfied grin on his lips –the same that always graced his features after sex, good sex- and eyes shining like a cloud-free sky. Without even daring to knock, he walked inside, face dropping in surprise and disappointment seeing his lover still behind his desk, buried in papers and red-tapism, hands rubbing his face in frustration.

Usually a joint was all he needed, maybe some pills, to fix things, but Randy knew that this time he could not bullshit his way out of it. He had been trying to do some paperwork for the whole day already, but had failed miserably since his thoughts had been stuck on Cody –or rather on the events from two days ago and the look of despise, of pure disappointment in his young lovers else so carefree eyes. And honestly, his cheek was still stinging from that slap.

The sound of the closing door brought him out of his daze and he looked up to meet the surprised features of Cody, brows arched in confusion, blue eyes blinking questioningly at him, arms crossed over his chest in a mix of defense and slight frustration.

"I thought you wanted to talk to me?"

The coldness, the stern tone in his voice made Randy once again aware that it was really time to finally have this talk, to make the young brunette understand and he nodded hastily, hurrying out of his chair to grab his jacket.

"Yeah… but not here."

"What about…"

"The paperwork can wait another day."

A few long strides later and Randy was already next to him, firmly but carefully grabbing Cody's wrist to drag him outside. In his surprise, confusion, and slight anger –from Randy's actions two days ago- Cody had let his older lover have his way, following him out of the office and into the hallway without much of a struggle. A soft snarl escaping his lips as he finally realized what was happening –once again, he was giving Randy the control. Stopping abruptly, he waited for his lover to turn around in surprise, and shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere with you unless you tell me where we're heading."

"My house."

That certainly left him speechless, not only that but also defenseless. Never before in their whole friendship, their affair, or their relationship had Cody ever been to Randy's house, sometimes even doubting that the older man had one. The tattooed male had always made sure to keep it a secret, to not only him but also everyone else- meeting somewhere else –mostly the lab, his small room or Randy's office- and he had never ever questioned him. For the older man now finally taking him home, showing him his own four walls, his privacy, clearly had to mean something, it had to be a sign that their relationship REALLY meant a lot to Randy.

The car-ride was quiet for two reasons, number one was that Cody did not know what to say, did not even really want to talk. It was not his place to say anything. He wanted Randy to make a step towards him; it was the older man's turn and not his. Asides from this he was still perplexed by the idea of finally getting to see how his lover lived, by finally being let in to Randy's own privacy, his kingdom, his source of energy and peace.

The other reason was that Randy did not want to ruin the mood. The look of excitement and bliss on Cody's face, almost happiness even, was enough to re-assure him of his plans. He needed to tell him, the boy deserved to know, had a right to hear it from him and his house was the best place to do so. It was the own place where he had peace and quiet, the only place where he could relax, where he had time to think, to pull back, to let the world be. The only one who knew where he lived was Ted and that was because they knew each other since they were kids. He had never wanted anyone to disturb his peace, his space, his privacy, not only for selfish reasons but also for business reasons, for the safety of his own life. If anyone ever knew where he lived, even besides all the security systems he had installed, he would be dead in within a day, that he was sure of.

By the time they finally arrived, it was already dark outside, beat dark, and Cody could barely make out where they were. He had realized that they had driven out of time, had recognized one or two street-signs but that had been pretty much it. Randy had pulled into a large driveway only a minute ago, after driving through a big silver-gate which had closed after them again and they were now in front of what looked like a palace to him. However, that might have only been because he had never seen anything that big in his short life. Sure, his parents had the money, but they never threw it out the windows. They had always lived in a small, but comfortable house until he was kicked out… and his apartment? Well, it was barely one room… so the house they were parking in front of now indeed was a palace to him.

He got out of his thoughts when he felt a warm hand reach for his own and shaking himself out of his daze, he looked up to meet the warm eyes of his Viper, leaning down inside the car and smiling at him, motioning towards the house with his head. Cody took the hand offered to him and let himself be helped out of Randy's vehicle –one of many he had learned- and up the stairs to the house, barely registering his surroundings –the trees and flowers gracing the garden, the two other cars standing in the driveway, the cameras on the roof of the pearl-white house, the black roof.

As soon as they were inside, Cody was captivated, fascinated. He was taking everything in inch by inch, each detail, each picture on the wall of the enormous living-room, each cushion on the couch, the leather chairs, each little vase and ornament. Who would have thought that Randy, the icy-cold, heartless, rough Viper, had such a sense for details?

"Anything to drink? Beer?"

Randy had not taken his eyes off of Cody, had watched every little movement, every little change in expression of his lover, each action and each motion, relieved when he had seen his little ones eyes flashing, brightening again and a small smile forming on the brunette's lips. He had inched closer with every passing minute, now standing right beside him, close enough to be able and smell the scent of sex on Cody –briefly wondering whom the younger man had screwed earlier, but not mentioning a word of it.

Cody snapped out of his captivated trance, turning his head to look at the man he loved and shaking his head, voice fluttering in not only nervousness but also fright as he declined the offer, preferring to make it quick because he did not trust himself. He did not want to forgive Randy that easily for breaking his promise, for turning into a monster right in front of his eyes; he wanted him to fight for it.

"No… thanks… I just… I want you to… well… say what you've gotta say so I can leave again."

Sighing in disappointment, in hurt, Randy raked a hand through his shortly-shaven hair, letting himself fall back down on the heavy, red leather couch, sinking inside as he lowered his head. It was silent for a while, Randy contemplating on how to start while Cody was waiting for him to speak. Before the older man said anything though, he looked up again, lips mere thin lines, eyes dark and betraying his usual hard and cold personality as they –for the first time ever- showed Cody something along the lines of hurt, of pain, of desperation. It was the only reason why he accepted the silent offer, Randy patting the spot next to him, to sit down. Hesitantly, his eyes never leaving Randy, he obeyed, though he choose to sit as far away from his lover as possible, facing him with his legs crossed and hands holding onto his ankles.

"So?"

A deep intake of breath later, Randy finally found his voice, but not before turning to face his young boy, one leg on the couch, other one dangling off, arm resting on the back.

"I guess it's time for me to tell you something, to explain… to let you in. You're the only one who never judged me for what I do or what I've done and I really hope this won't change. I don't want you to think less of me; I only want to explain why I've become like this. Why I am who I am."

Cody's brows were arched by then, in confusion and in surprise. He had not expected Randy to open up this way, to express to him any kind of emotions. The only emotion he was used to from the older man was lust, but the hint of pain, of agony on the usually so controlled lover was something he had not counted on.

"No one else knows, only Ted, and that's because of our history together. And I want it to stay like this, Codes. I don't want… no… I don't NEED anyone to think I'm weak."

"You aren't weak."

His lips had moved before he could stop himself, quickly covering his mouth with one of his hands, fearing that he might have ruined Randy's confession by interrupting his ramblings so rudely, but again he was surprised when Randy only let go of a sigh, shaking his head, chuckling slightly.

"I'm weaker than you think I am… weaker than anyone thinks… just… let me talk, okay, Codes? No interruptions, cause god knows this isn't easy for me… I only want you to listen… to understand."

"Do I really mean this much to you… or is it only because you want back into my pants?"

Once again, his mouth had beaten his brain, saying the first thing that had come to his mind without even thinking about possible consequences. Now, after it was out, he could only hope that Randy would keep his cool, stay calm and not snap at him, head lowering in guilt, muscles tensing in fear of Randy's reaction, rather believing in a slap than in kind words.

"I'm grateful to have you in my life, grateful for everything you've done for me, Codes… that is the reason why I'm telling you this…" His voice was surprisingly calm, low, and barely audible and it took Randy another deep intake of breath before he could continue. "… now shut up and let me speak."

Cody nodded his head without hesitation, looking back up at his lover to see the sincerity, the warmth in his eyes as they shared a moment of silence, a smile forming at the corner of the younger brunette's lips at the playfulness of Randy's tone that had accompanied those last few words. He waited for him to continue, watching intensely as the color of Randy's eyes changed again into a deep gray, cold, almost blank, and the smirk that had just graced his love's lips a few moments ago turned into an icy snarl.

"You already know that I grew up in St. Louis. I grew up in the shadows of my father, the great Bob Orton, wrestler, leader of so many underground fight clubs and employer for at least two dozen of henchmen and drug-dealers. I've grown up getting everything I ever wanted: money, toys, affection, attention, video-games, I've never been short of anything, but… love… you know, that's the one thing that was always missing, well… besides respect and dignity. Of course that motherfucker of father was barely ever at home and when he was… well… hell broke loose. I could never do anything right in his eyes; to him I have always been a disgrace, a mistake… a waste of time."

The older man closed his eyes, tongue darting out to wet his lips before pursing them and letting out a huff. "I've never lived up to his expectations, to his fame, to his wishes. It's not that I never tried… oh no… god knows I've tried, my hardest… I've gotten the best damn grades, I've been the fucking greatest wrestler in junior high, I've had tons of friends, lots of lovely ladies…" Stopping for a moment to study Cody's expressions, seeing the young man with his head tilted slightly, upper lip tucked in between his lips, interested in whatever he was going to say, he decided to continue.

"… but that wasn't enough for him. Sometimes he got so mad at me… without a reason… that he'd beat me up, with a belt, with a whip, with everything and anything he could find. I've sported bruises on my whole body for my entire life, ever since I was eight. My mom… she realized it soon enough, but she never gave a damn. She said I deserve it, deserve the punishment, said it would make me harder, would prepare me for the real world outside." A short snort escaped his lips as he shook his head, voice trembling by now as he remembered those times. "She even watched sometimes, either drunk or stoned out of her mind, laughing with every kick, every slap he brought down on me."

Cody had to swallow hard at that moment. He had never expected something like that, could see the pain, the hurt, the agony in Randy and it scared the hell out of him. He had never seen him like that, his hero, his savior, so broken and so shallow.

"His physical abuse was nothing compared to her verbal abuse though. She's called me things I'll never forget, never forgive her. But… the worst came when…" He took a deep, long breath, trying to calm his nerves, trying his darnest to keep his voice steady and stern, but Cody could see right through him. "… when they found out that I'm bisexual… That was when I was fifteen… from then on… the physical and verbal abuse became even more and… and… it became more intense… more… intimate… it…"

"He raped you?"

It came out as a squeal of surprise as soon as it had dawned on Cody, a hand flying to his lips to cover his mouth more in shock than in sorrow for interrupting his lover and wide-eyed he had to watch on as Randy nodded his head, eyes closed, the first time in their whole friendship seeing a single tear slip down Randy's cheek.

"He did… and it became worse every time he was home. When we moved to Atlanta, I decided to run away. I was seventeen by then and thankfully I had learned a lot from the old man… not only how to abuse and destroy someone, physically as well as mentally, but also how to survive on the streets, how to make business, how to make a name for myself. Soon enough I had friends surrounding me, shallow friends, people I barely knew –asides from Ted- but at least they helped me to get recognized, to make a name for myself and for a reason I still can't grasp… the next thing I knew, Cowboy had given his business, his company to me."

Cody had tears in his eyes by now. Just listening, just seeing the else so strong, so confident, cold and rough man break down in front of him like that, it had been enough. He did not know what to say, neither how to react. For Randy to tell him all that… it was not only a life-changing revelation for the older man, but also for him.

"There's not a day going by without me wishing him dead, wishing my mom would just gag at his heavy cock and choke on it, without wanting to see him in a bloody gulp… I've never trusted anyone in my whole life… not even Ted, I just could not. I was too afraid that anyone could destroy me… just like they did. My own family and blood. The drugs, my coldness, my… my whole persona… if it had not been for them, I probably would not be who I am now… what I am now… that ruthless, psychotic monster everyone fears… a man who fights and kills, who… who rapes people for his own amusement…"

Not once had he looked up, the fear inside of him of what he might face too much to even dare. Cody would surely see him in a different light now, would be disgusted by him, would think less of him, maybe even pity him and he could even feel the sorrow radiating from his boys body, could feel the boring gaze on him.

"Ever since the day that company belongs to me, all I can think of is how to show him that I'm worth it, that I'm better than he makes me out to be, that I'm stronger than him… I want to show him how wrong he was… but… most of the time, I don't even believe that myself… Even though we have not talked ever since I've run away –it always had been lawyers, or sometimes even my mom who had tried to contact me- I know, I just know that he's watching every damn move I make, that he has his spies out there, people who report to him what I do, when I do it and how I do it. I'll show him that I deserve to live…"

The shocked gasp escaping Cody's lips did not make it to Randy's ears though as the older man was too far away already, caught somewhere in his own past, his memories, hearing his father as he thrusts into him from behind again and again "_You don't deserve to live, you little shit. You're a fucking disgrace… a fucking fag… a whore… Take it like a fucking man, you little shit… Take it!"_

Tears threatened to slide down his cheeks –but he held them back not wanting to show how much it really still hurt him, trying to stay strong, to not only fool Cody but also himself-, his body trembling, fists tightly clenching his thighs so hard that his nails digged through the material of his jeans and Cody could see tiny red stains soaking through the material.

"You're not a monster, Randy… you're not a monster… You're a strong, confident, powerful young man, my hero, my savior. Without you, I would probably be dead already and you know that. You've helped not only me but also Ted… you've given people who would not have had anything without you a job, a life. Don't you ever think that your father was right… ever."

The warmth, the sincerity, the undying, unconditional love in Cody's eyes was enough to melt him down, enough to forget about everything he had just said, everything that had just happened. The way he looked at him, the way his smile warmed his heart… it made Randy regret everything he had ever done to whomever he had done it. He regretted ever taking drugs, regretted all the fights he had been in, the countless concussions he had taken, the murders he had committed, the raping he had done; knowing that without all those things he would probably still be normal, would not hear those demanding voices in his head time after time after time, would not be the psycho he had become.

"I need you, Cody… more than anything in my life… I need you… to… not to judge me, to love me, to… comfort me."

"I always will."

And the boy meant it, with all his heart he would make sure no one would ever hurt Randy like that again, with all his power and strength, determination, he promised himself that his love for Randy would never fade… and the older man could see it in his eyes. He knew that this boy… this MAN would do anything for him, even if it meant they would die together.

"I know about your strong bond with Mike. I dunno why… probably because you two are the only sane people working here… but please, Cody… you've gotta promise me…"

"I won't say anything… to anyone."

The sigh of relief escaping Randy's lips along with a nod of his head, Cody's hand still softly lingering on his cheek, gained him a sweet peck on his lips before Cody pulled away again. He had a lot to contemplate tonight… all the things Randy had just told him… it was immense. The intensity and severity of their situation came suddenly crashing down on him and he pulled completely away from Randy, lowering his head, hands cradling in his lap again, grasping the hem of his shirt.

The change of behavior did not go unnoticed by Randy and the older man leaned forward to wrap an arm around his boy's waist, carefully, but firmly, pulling him towards himself and nuzzling his nose in the crook of his neck.

"I'm really grateful to have you, Codes… never forget that… no matter what I do or say."

It was barely audible, a small whisper muffled by Cody's hair, but the young man caught on to it, nodding his head as he realized what Randy was trying to say by it. Even though his lover could snap at any time, could slip into his second persona every at any single moment, even when Randy was in the state –the same he had been in two days ago- he would never hurt him intentionally –not physically nor mentally.

Slowly raising his arms to return the embrace, Cody nodded his head, feeling the rough stubbles on Randy's cheek rubbing against his neck, something wet touching his skin, tiny and shallow and he realized within a second that the tears had not dried yet, tightening his grip on the older man, so vulnerable and broken right now that for once it was him to give comfort, to make him feel safe.

"How about we go to bed?"

That one single request sent a smile to the Viper's lips, his walls breaking down, his heart opening, body finally relaxing against the warmth of his lover.

Before midnight struck, they were both in the comfort of the large king-size bed, soft, velvet sheets surrounding them, chest-to-chest, Randy's leg draped around Cody's hips, his warm, steady breath against Cody's forehead as he kissed him goodnight, Cody's arm gingerly wrapped around the older man's waist, head resting against Randy's throat, both sets of eyes heavy, expressions matching each other as content smiles graced their features, and in a matter of seconds they were both fast asleep.

* * *

**We have the R! We have the E! We have the V! We have the I! We have the E! We have the W! We have REVIEW! (imagine Jake, Mike, Jericho, Zack and Evan as naked cheerleaders).**

**Anyone want to write me some Mike slash? Preferable with any of the above, though I could live with/for Mike/Randy and even Mike/Ted or Mike/Cody. No JoMo or Cena please! ****And is anyone up to writing Zack-slash? Again, with one of the guys mentioned above. **

**I'll trade you a one shot of your choice for it. Lemme know what pairing you like and I'll let you know if I can write it. But I prefer the guys I mentioned here :)**


	11. Actions speak louder than words

**A/N: This is gonna be a really short A/N because I'm insanely tired and I haven't got anything interesting to tell you guys. So enjoy, thanks for reading and reviewing, please do so again. And well, that's it. Nothing more to say. ****Ow… well… just this. Thanks to ****soul of a fire dragon**** for beta-ing!**

**WARNING: mentions of God, mentions of M/M sex, mentions of killing**

**DISCLAIMER: My muses say hi. They caused this story. I'm innocent. **

* * *

**Chapter 10: Actions speak louder than words**

"I've done something incredible wrong, something so wrong that I doubt god will ever forgive me... I mean... I'll go to hell for it. That's not just what I think, but what I'm sure of will happen. I have slept with another man... and I haven't just slept with any other man, I have slept with Ra... with my bosses boyfriend. A young man, innocent, I've used his naivety to get him in bed and what is the worst about it... it's that I liked it. I actually got off on it. I enjoyed each and every moment of it. I'm such a bad person, the worst Christian ever. I don't deserve to live anymore, I don't deserve the faith, the trust god lays in me.

"I'm weak, so weak... There's temptations everywhere, teasing me, tempting me... is it God testing me? Does God knows how weak I am? Of course he knows. Time after time I failed Him, time after time He gives me another chance, so I can fail Him again. I don't deserve another chance, I can't take another test... I'm weak... so weak. I can't even resist the temptation of drugs, I'm a violent man. I killed, I hurt people, everything I do hurts people. What have I done to deserve this? Have I been tainted since I was a little child? Or am I punished for what happened to Brett... oh my little brother... I failed you Bretty... I failed you and now I make sure the life of others is as fucked up as yours. What happened to you, I did to others... and every time God forgave me... Why? I can't take this anymore... I've failed everyone... I've failed myself. All I wanted was to be good. But I'm evil…

"I'm even worse than everyone I know... worse than Chris, than Randy, than Jake... because they stand up for what they do... I... I just am a worthless, disgusting excuse of a human being. I can't do anything right, can't do a good thing in my whole life. I've slept with a man... with many actually... the late-night visits at that club... the money I've spend there. I've even asked my friend's father for a loan only so I can satisfy my disgusting, filthy needs... in the dead of night... nobody sees me... nobody recognizes me because I am disgusted enough by myself as it is. I've betrayed my little Bretty... betrayed my family, betrayed God and most of all I have betrayed myself and what I thought I stand for.

"I deserve not only to be humiliated but also to be punished... though... what is it if it became more than just sex, if it became love? Would god still hate me then? Would he be disgusted? I still would not be able to look into a mirror as long as I have this memory in my mind... but if it is more than that... more than disgusting, filthy, dirty sex... if it was love... it would change things, right?

"I love him, I really do. I think I always did. True love, so beautiful, so good... that it can only be made by God. Love is a gift from Him, isn't it? Something so pure can't be tainted by the Devil? I can't go to hell for that, right? I'm so tired... so confused... I don't know what to do anymore. All I know is that I can't fight it anymore. Being around him is like being around an angel. So soft, so beautiful, so innocent... can he be the angel send to save me? Please... tell me you have the answers. Tell me, cause I'm tired of fighting."

"A long, heavy sigh could be heard on the other hand, Father Brooks -clad in his pajamas, hair ruffled, eyes heavy with sleep- running a hand over his face and shaking his head.

"Ted... I think you know the answer to that, but let me say it again... What you have done is wrong, in so many forms and places. You have killed, you have taken drugs, you have slept with a person of the same gender... this is all not only against the law but also against what God stands for. It isn't right, it never will be. You cannot love someone from the same sex. It is impossible to do that. Us humans are not built for that, we were not born for that."

"That you think you love him is the work of the devil. That boy that you think is an angel send to save you, is send by the devil instead. What happened to your brother was work of the devil, it wasn't your fault Ted. But through that guilt, the devil got his leash on you and all your struggling, all the guilt you feel, is a sign that you are still good. You can still be saved. But you need to get away from them, you need to get away from the devils that you work for, from the constant temptation of drugs, the men sleeping together. As long as you stay in that nest of demons, you can never be saved."

It was people like Ted worked for that made him wish confession wasn't confidential and that he could go to the police with everything he knew. The stories this troubled man told him made him feel uncomfortable in his skin, the drugs, the killings, the violence, the relationships between men, because Phil wouldn't go as far as to call that abomination love, even if Ted believe it was.

"But I can't... I cannot leave Randy, the man who has done so much for me over the course of the years, the man who saved me so many times before, the man who always has my back, who is always there when I need a helping hand."

"God was the one to save you, Ted... not him. It was god who helped you through life, through the loss of your little brother, not Randy nor you."

Ted swallowed hard, understanding what Father Brooks tried to tell him but yet not convinced.

"Maybe it is like you say, but I can't leave Cody... He's so pure, so innocent. He is not like the others. He does not take drugs, he does not kill, he does not whore his body out. He is like an angel, an angel wrapped up in the devil's world. If I leave him alone I'm sure he will die. There will be no one left to save him."

Father Brooke's patience grew thinner with every passing minute. Never in his life had he met someone as stubborn, as blind as Ted, someone who knew what was right and what was wrong but was unable to see it.

"He'll be saved by god if he deserves it, Ted. It is not your job to rescue him... If it is his destiny than God will help him, will lead him into the right direction. And to add to that, if he sleeps with other men, even if it is only one, he is not as pure as you make him be. He is a sinner nonetheless."

Cody a sinner? That couldn't be true. Not his Cody, not his boy.

"Cody is not a sinner!" He snapped. "Cody is an innocent, send by God for me to save me... to bring him to God. He isn't raised like I am, he hasn't been taught about right and wrong. That's why he was sent to me. If I leave him there... I can't... I can't let his soul be taken by the Devil. Mike will.… Randy will... they will destroy him, corrupt him. No... I won't let that happen. Not to my angel."

"You can't Ted! You can't save another when you can't even save yourself. But if this man is as important to you if you say, bring him with you to church. I'll talk to him, I'll bring him to God if he wants that. I'll try to save him, Ted. But I can only do so if he wants that himself. Like I can only save you if you want to. Do you want to be saved, Ted? Be honest, look deep inside your heart and tell me. Do you want to turn away from the devil and his evil?"

Ted stayed silent for a few moments, contemplating what Father Brooks had just asked him. Did he really want to be saved? Did he really want out of the hole he was living in, the lie that was called his life? "Yes..." It was a breathed whisper but enough to reach Father Brooks ears and he nodded more so to himself than to anyone else.

"Good, Ted. Then bring me the boy and we'll see what we can do about it, about him... and listen to me from now on! You can only be saved from the devil and its work when you open your eyes and see the sins surrounding you, see what is right and what is wrong."

* * *

Jake looked confused at his phone as he slammed it down. The boss wanted to see him - alone - to bring him the money from the weapon deal. He wondered what was behind this. Mike always handled the business part with Chris. Jake didn't really mind. No matter how much he detested his boss, he wanted to keep his lover away from him. He didn't trust Chris' promise to stay away from him. The lust in his eyes had been obvious and Jake suspected that Chris felt more for the brunette than he would ever admit and would do anything to get him back. It wouldn't surprise him if this order had anything to do with that. Well... they would be rid of that dirty old man in a few weeks and if he had anything to say about it, Chris would then be either dead or behind bars. He turned to his love, who was eying him curiously from behind his desk. Mike had been working on his computer, but had looked up when Jake slammed his phone on the desk.

"Chris wants me to bring him the money. I'll be back in a bit."

Mike growled. "Be careful babe. I don't trust him. I've got a feeling he wants you and he's used to get whatever he wants."

A good fifteen minutes later he stood in front of the blonde's office, taking one deep breath after another. His Glock securely in his waistband and hands clenched into fists, he hesitantly knocked and waited for the older man's voice. "Come in."

Jake couldn't help but snort at the man's stupidity. How did he know it wasn't some stranger, some enemy, some killer in front of the door. It was ridiculous to just call anyone inside without even knowing who it is. Inhaling sharply for a last time, he opened the door finally, stepping inside the office. Chris was sitting behind his desk, Bourbon in his hand, joint in the other one as he looked up from his paperwork, the frown on his lips turning into a wicked grin as soon as he laid eyes on Jake.

"So there's Mike's delicious piece of muscle. You know... I hadn't expected you to show up so eagerly and I certainly didn't expect Mike to let you go this easy."

Jake growled. "You are the boss after all... so I didn't exactly have much choice. You wanted to see me alone, and here I am. So quit the bullshit and tell me what you want from me."

Chris stood up and walked towards Jake, halting a little too close for Jake to be comfortable. Irvine stank of hash and booze and Jake scrunched his nose at the foul smell, taking a step back at the same time. Chris smirked and took another step closer until he had Jake with his back against the door. The eldest rubbed his hand up and down Jake's biceps. The look of disgust on the larger blond was noticed but ignored.

"What I want from you, Jakey? You would wanna know that, right?"

Jake swallowed hard, trying to breathe through his mouth since the smell of Chris made him sick to his stomach. Trying his hardest to stay calm, his voice was calm but stern.

"Yeah... besides the money that is. You're doing business with Mike, not with me... so... what is it?"

Chris' smirk grew even wider as he ran his tongue over his lips, hand sliding towards Jake's chest to feel the bulging muscles underneath his shirt, eyes following the motions of his fingers, mesmerized by the ribbed body in front of him.

"You know Jake... I'm not someone to beat around the bush, so I'll say it as blunt as possible... I want you."

Their eyes met again and Jake almost had to throw up at the lust and desire in Chris' blues, his hands acting on an own accord and pushing the elder male away from him, making the blonde stumble backwards with a surprised growl.

His hand went to his gun and Jake had to refrain himself from pulling his gun and emptying it in the scumbag in front of him. In his mind's eye he saw it happening, the fear on Chris' face as the gun was aimed at him, him pissing his pants as he realized that Jake was serious, the sharp blasts from the gun, Chris' head exploding. These images made him smile and confused the blond that was still staring at him.

"I know you want me too, Jake. Don't lie to yourself. Don't you wanna see what Mike came back for time after time? Don't you wanna take revenge for all those times that I had him on his hands and knees, or bent over on this desk, or with his mouth around my dick? You saw how much he liked it, you saw how much he wanted it. Don't you think it's time for you to shake off his leash and start living for yourself? I'll make it worth it..."

"Go fuck yourself, Chris," Jake growled at his boss, not caring anymore about any consequences or respect as he got right into the other blonde's face, nose-to-nose, fist clenched tightly around his Glock. "I'm not a whore like you are. I don't fuck random people every chance I get and I especially don't fuck dirty, old bastards like you are. You've got what you wanted last week. We made a deal. It's over and done with."

Chris' smirk returned as he pressed his body close to Jake's, placing his hands on the tall man's hips, thumbs rubbing circles into the soft flesh underneath the tight jeans as he ignored the shudder of disgust from the young blonde.

"Au contraire... our deal was that I'd keep my hands off your lover... It said nothing about you... and believe me, darling... if I want you, I'll get you."

Jake pushed the dirty blond away again, lips curled into in a snarl. This time he used so much force that he send the older man halfway across the office and he slammed with his back against his desk.

"You keep your fucking hands off me. I don't want you and I'll never will. And in case you get weird ideas like taking a leaf out of Orton's book and try to force me in any way, I'll fucking kill you. Never think I'm bluffing."

Even in his drunken state the cold and the bloodlust in Jake's eyes made him shiver. Still, he didn't believe that Jake would really try to do something funny and he dared to add one last comment.

"I've never had to force anyone into my bed. Even that hunky bit of ass that you call your lover came willingly and enjoyed every minute of it. I don't care what it'll cost me and how long it will take me, I'll get what I want in the end. I always do."

Jake didn't care to answer, threw the bag with the money straight into Chris' face and stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut with so much force that it popped out of its sockets.

* * *

Explain!"

The eyes of the Englishman were cold as steel, his voice had a razor-sharp edge to it as he leaned on the desk, towering over his partner. Hunter gulped but met Regal's gaze dead on, still trusting on the family connection with Vince to keep his position unthreatened. If anything went wrong, he could always throw Regal out. This was his joint after all. Vince left it to him and not to this fat old man. He leant back, hands in the back of his neck, a denigrating smile around his lips.

"Explain what?"

"Can you please explain to me the phone call I just got? Can you explain to me why Glenn has called our weapon deal off? Can you explain to me why we lost this challenge?"

Hunter's mouth fell over in utter surprise.

"What? How? Who?"

"He didn't care to tell me. What he did tell me was that he would take his business to them from now on."

Actually, this was a lie. Regal and Glenn went way back and this was the main reason that Regal had been so hesitant to let Hunter handle this deal. But human trafficking was a little bit too uncivilized for William's taste and he had been so sure that there was no way that Glenn would do business with anyone else, especially because he knew Glenn's distaste for anything to do with Irvine. Therefore, he was rather impressed with Mizanin that he had managed to land this deal. Apparently, the guy had even better contacts than he had expected. He needed him, fast. Glenn had even hinted that if he did not take the boy from Irvine soon, he himself would. And there was no way Regal would let that happen.

"So it's obvious that you fucked up, AGAIN I might add. Do you have any idea how much money your laziness has cost us?"

Hunter exploded. "Me? Why me? How dare you to fucking talk as if it is my entire fault! You were the one who took his fucking time. If it wasn't for your high morals, we could have found someone for Glenn ages ago and the deal would have been sealed before someone else jumped in. You watch your fucking mouth, Regal. This company's still MINE… Vince has given it to ME, not you… so watch your damn mouth!"

Not for the first time this evening Regal felt something inside of him snap, jaw clenching, eye twitching as he took a very deep breath to calm himself. He knew that words would not help him any in this situation. Words never helped when it came to Hunter. Only actions would prove his point, only actions would get him further. It was time for him to do something about it.

"You know, Hunter. You are right. The company's yours… I'm just the sidekick in this whole story. Just the one helping your sorry ass out of the shit you maneuver yourself into time after time after time. From now on, I'll lower my morals to a minimum…" Lips twitched as he tried to hide a smirk, the plan already forming in his head. "… Maybe… next time I want a job done, I'll even do it myself. Who knows?"

Hunter was slightly confused by the sudden change of his companion's behavior, even a little scared –though he would never admit it, nor show it- leaning back in his chair again and eyeing the Englishman carefully with an arched brow.

"Whatever you say, Regal. We'll find a better job than that, a better deal. Glenn isn't the biggest fish in the sea."

Oh how wrong he was. Glenn was most definitely the most powerful, most influencal guy on the East Coast and not only Regal, but the whole US knew that… with the exception of the moron in front of him.

"What did it cost us? 50 Grand? That's nothing. We're still Number One in this business, in Atlanta, in Georgia, all over the East."

*Idiot… with that deal, Irvine and Orton have risen to the top without you even realizing it.* He kept the thought to himself though, knowing damn well that the blond, big-nosed, arrogant snob he was working with would never grasp the importance of the deal that had just slipped past their fingers. If he wanted to rise to the top again, he did not only need Mizanin and Hager, FAST, he also needed to get rid of this annoying bastard and he already knew how. He only needed to find the two goons first and everything would be fine again in a matter of time. As soon as Hunter was gone, not only would Mizanin willingly join him, but he would also take over and turn the business back into what it used to be: successful, ruthless and feared and respected all over the place. He would turn the company back into the best again, as it had been under Vince's regime. And after that was done, Irvine and Orton would be nothing else than some small fishes in an aquarium full of Piranhas.

"Yeah Hunter, we're still the best. No need to worry. I over-reacted." Putting on the fakest smile he could muster, he nodded his head towards the tall blond, almost bowing to him. "Now if I may excuse myself, I have to attend some serious business. I'm sure you can find us another deal, something big, on your own. I trust you there."

He did not even wait for Hunter's reaction as he turned around in a hurry and escaped the office rather quick, almost bursting out in a fit of laughter when the door behind him closed. Hunter would never know what hit him and the clueless and dumbstruck expression on his face WHEN it hit him would definitely be worth bathing his own hands in blood.

It took Hunter a long while before he could concentrate on his paper work again. Not only had it never been his favorite thing to do - all the bureaucracy and contracts rather being Regal's job - but that wicked smile, that stern, cold glint in Regal's eyes had him worried, fearing for his own life. Though the chubby Englishman was one of the most loyal partners his father-in-law had ever had, he had the weird feeling that the brunette was planning something big… something he wanted to hide from Hunter.

* * *

**Enjoyed it? What do you think Regal has planned? Do you think Ted will really get Cody to go to church with him? How will Chris' advances affect Mike's and Jake's relationship? Give us your thoughts!**

**SO REVIEWS PLEASE! If you don't I'll sacrifice you to my Evan-muse. He turned into God again (long, long story). **


	12. Plans

**A/N I hadn't wanted to post this yet, because the grammar really sucks and my lovely beta, ****soul of a fire dragon**** is trying her hardest to fix it. But my co-writer wants to post the next chap already (she had posted this one ages ago) and so I'll post it with horrible grammar and will repost it later with hopefully better grammar. So I hope it doesn't bother you to much and you'll still leave reviews.**

**But on the bright side, you'll get two chapters in one go as an apology for the much too long wait.**

**WARNING: Slash, Mentions of abuse and rape, violence "Bad" language**

**DISCLAIMER: I wanna own Mike, Jake, Chris or even Nick. Unfortunately I don't. This is just a story that came from my and Legacychick's insane minds and has absolutely nothing to do. So I don't think that Nick is a junky, that Mike and Jake are either lovers or insane killers and that Chris is fat, dumb or ugly. Same goes for the others. Nothing real there. Except the parts where we describe their hotness… that's true**

* * *

**Chapter 12 Plans**

"Why are we meeting here and not in your office?"

The tall, muscular Russian with the deformed jaw and the flabbergasted nose was curious, blond brows furrowed; his companion casually leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, boyish features wrinkled in confusion, dark-blond hair wrapped together in a ponytail.

"Simple… I don't trust Hunter… I trust him as much as I trust my foes and even though he's dumb as hay, it would not surprise me if he has bugs placed somewhere in my office."

The explanation seemed to do it for the two goons as they both nodded their heads in understanding, though the Russian did not seem completely satisfied yet. They had agreed to meet Regal in the office of one of their informers, the music in the club loud enough to drown out their conversation in case anyone tried to listen in.

"So… why are we here?" This time it was the young man speaking as he looked Regal dead in the eye. Even though he had a lot of respect for the elder Englishman –and liked him a lot more than Hunter- he did not show one ounce of fear towards his boss. Any sign of weakness, no matter towards whom, could be your death in this job.

"Because I need a job done… and I trust you two. I know that even though you are not the smartest crayons in the rock, you two know as well as I do that Hunter is not good for our company, for our business. You will certainly agree that without him we would be much better off and we would not be in the position we are in now."

He was referring to their war with the Irvine/Orton imperium and their position at the losing end of it. Once again, Hawkins and Kozlov agreed, humming and nodding in response as the Russian leant back against the wall, lips curling up in a smirk.

"I guess you have a plan already, boss?" His thick, heavy accent filled the room as Regal sat down in the red leather-chair behind the desk, tapping his fingertips together, a smile gracing his else so frowning, beaten features.

"Well… we certainly agree that something needs to be done. I already took care of a new partner, a replacement… my only worry is how to get rid of the current one."

Neither of the hired guns was surprised by this. They had even betted on when Regal would finally snap and ask for Hunters death, both willing to do the job in a heart-beat since the day Hunter took over, the business had not been the same: more rules, less jobs, less money had all together lead to unhappiness and utter dismay. What surprised them though was that Regal had already found someone to take the big-nosed, longhaired jerks place.

"Who is it?" Of course, the curiosity was bigger than common sense, the young, lean Hawkins asking the question that burnt on either of their tongues.

Leaning back in the chair, hands folded behind his head, Regal smirked and shook his head. "I'll tell you when the time's there… Now…" He motioned them to step closer, resting his elbows on the glass-table, chin in his palms, as he lowered his voice, and looked them dead in the eyes "… you two get rid of Hunter. No witnesses, no evidences, as silent as possible. Make it look like an accident. I don't need Vince on my heals, though I somehow doubt he'd even care about that dumbshell's death." He waited for them to nod, giving them time for questions before continuing. "You'll get twice the usual money for the job. Take your time… do not behave suspicious in front of him. You are two of the best; you are loyal towards me… I trust you on this."

Kozlov knew that as soon as they would make ONE wrong move, as soon as anything, something would leak to Hunter, They would be dead. Regal had enough contacts to get them killed in no matter of time no matter where they would hide, and he did not have a death wish, not at all. The same went for Hawkins and moreover, the two of them would be happy with whoever replaced that high-nosed snob, because it could not get any worse.

The Englishman could see Hawkins already deep in thought, the brain –even though he did not look like it- of their team definitely on his side while Kozlov was more the man of work, though, both of them knew how to take care of someone without making any noise. Killing Hunter would be easy since he did not have any guards –besides themselves- and it would not cause any suspicion at all since he had too many enemies to even count them all. No one would suspect his own men to be behind it. The only problem they would have was to catch him off guard, to catch him alone.

He was either at a club, in a bar, on a golf-court or at the gym. It was not often that he was alone. At home, his wife and his kids would be in the way. Even more people who would be happy to get rid of him. Stephanie knew that he was cheating on her, fucking everything he could –no matter if male or female- and his kids would not even recognize his death since he was barely home anyways. Still, they did not need them to watch the massacre. The only place they could do it was his office, though they would have to take care of the cameras and microphones before.

The young man could barely wait to kill that bloody bastard, what satisfaction it would give him, what it would do to his reputation. The plan already forming in his head, he smacked Kozlov's chest as a sign for him that they were leaving, nodding his head towards their soon to be solemn boss before the two of them retreated out of the office and the club and into the chilly, dark night.

Regal once again leant back in the chair, sighing contently as he started to fantasize about a life without Hunter. He knew he could trust those two with the job and could not wait to get their message about Hunter's death. Until then he would act as unsuspicious as possible towards that jerk. Not an easy job now that he knew everything was working out in his favor… he would definitely have to train his poker face again before stepping in front of his partner again. Soon he would rule this business once again, because without Hunter, Mizanin would join him and they would be unstoppable.

* * *

Mike whistled happily as he made his way down. His plans were slowly being set in motion and in a few weeks he would have his revenge and after that, his new life would start. The kegs in his head turned as he went over all the things that were going on. Randy had just ordered him to send Wade to him. He had a meeting with some of his marine buddies and he wanted Wade with him. Mike wasn't sure why; maybe Randy was getting so paranoia he didn't even want to meet his friends without a body guard,; maybe he only wanted the Englishman away from Cody. In any case, it worked out great. This way he could let Wade lay contacts with the source of the weapons without risking anything. Wade already had his instructions and the prospect of the money he would get if this worked out made sure he would think twice before betraying Mike or fucking up.

Chris was also out. Of course he had wanted Jake, but Mike had excused him saying that Jake still wasn't in top condition. Chris was too much of a chicken to risk his skin, so he had taken Teddy instead. The brunette almost felt sorry for Ted for having to spend a whole day with that dirty bastard. There was no way however that he would let Jake near Chris before he had found a way to permanently warn him off. And beside that, he needed Jake today. For this job, he trusted neither the Englishman or Angel-boy.

Cody looked up from his work when he saw Mike this unusually cheerful for the time of day.

"You're in a good mood today." Cody grinned.

"Yeah… I've got some fun things to do today. I slept amazing and waking up has even been more fun." He winked at the smiling blond that was on his heels as usual. If he only had realized earlier how amazing it was up to wake up next to Jake, or like today, to wake up with that hot mouth wrapped around his dick, he would have let him stay nights years ago. Yeah, life was good and it would only get better.

"You've got a package." Cody pointed at a brown envelope that lay on his desk.

"What the fuck?" No one was supposed to know where the lab was. Mail was delivered at the post office or at friend's houses.

Cody shrugged. "Nick brought it. I've no idea who gave it to him. He also wanted to speak to you. Something to do with that new assignment you send him on. What is that anyway?"

Mike didn't answer. He had no intention to let his friend in on anything anymore, not now he chose Randy over their friendship. The package was probably from Vicky. He hoped the junkie wasn't thinking about quitting that job. Not that Mike would let him. "Where is he?"

"I send him away. I hate having junkies hovering around. They are distracting. He'll be back later."

"Well, I'll be gone by then. Just let him wait next time, Cody. Have you even thought that it might be important?" This came out a little more annoyed than he intended. He had the feeling Nick had some information from Vicky or even from Matthew and he needed that. A few weeks ago he could've told Cody this, but he simply didn't trust him anymore.

"Next time I'll just send him up to your room. Let's see how much you like being interrupted."

"Okay, touche. But I think that will be more traumatic for him than for us. With all those dirty bastards here, I'm kinda used to being watched."

Jake growled in the back of his throat. He had some problems with others seeing his Mike naked. Mike turned around and smiled at his lover, a reassuring hand stroking his biceps. Jake was getting more possessive with each day and he would lie if that didn't turn him on. Who could've known that he wouldn't even miss his freedom?

"So what are you up to, Mikey? Anything fun planned?"

Mike shrugged, "Just some stuff we need to take care of."

"You're awfully evasive today." Cody was curious and tried to meet Mike's eyes. Mike didn't seem to notice and opened the envelope.

A DVD fell out. There was no note, only black capital letters that spelled "HAVE FUN WITH YOUR REVENGE!"

Jake furrowed his brow. "Do you think it's from…" Mike shut him up with just a look.

"Let's see what our new friend send us, okay?" He put the DVD in his laptop.

Cody wanted to ignore Mike at first. He was pissed that Mike shoved their friendship away that easily. He had been acting secretive, evasive and distant for the last few days now.

Starting the DVD, Mike and Jake completely ignored the young brunette, the tall blond standing in front of the laptop to block the view for him while Mike leaned casually against the desk, his eyes flickering at the images he saw, a glint of evil amusement in his gaze.

"Jakey... this is golden."

The blond leaned forward to get a view of what Mike was hinting at, his cold, emotionless expression soon turning into a sick grin, lips curling up in a smirk.

"Just what we need... what YOU need!"

"You know... you're an awful friend, Mike. You told me nothing would change about our friendship, no matter what happened and now you're being a jerk only because I've chosen love over friendship... It's not as if you didn't do the exact same thing."

Mike's head jerked up in surprise of Cody's sudden outburst, seeing the young man only a few steps away from them, hands balled into fists, face flushed red in anger, his eyes missing the usual warmth in them, replaced with fury instead.

"What the fuck?" Mike snapped. "I can't believe you throw this in my face. I chose love over our friendship? Really? You think that really? Tell me, sweetheart. Is Randy dead yet? No Cody, I asked Jake to forgo his revenge, I let my revenge go by because you begged me not to kill that insane bastard!"

"You fucking asshole! You think I should be grateful for that? You think I chose love over friendship just because I don't want Randy dead? Try to see it the other way around. What if I asked you to stand by while someone killed Jake?"

Mike growled low in the throat. His friend right? Cody was supposed to be his friend. He couldn't kill him, but god he wanted that right now. He willed himself to calm down. Jake stayed out of the fight but he would be glad to break the pretty boy's neck if Mike would allow him. After taking a few deep breaths Mike replied to Cody. There was no more anger in his voice, just flatness, like he was completely detached from his emotions.

"If anyone had ever dared to do to you what Randy did to me, he would already be dead. I would never allow someone to abuse you and stay alive, not even Jake. But that is the difference between your precious Randy and my Jake. Jake would never touch anyone against his will, Jake would never touch anyone but me. You don't understand any of it, Cody. In the end you're just a kid. You can't understand that I will never be safe when Randy's still alive. Hell, you don't even know what real love is!"

"And you do?" Cody snapped back. Mike was just playing with him, like he always was. There was no fucking way he could be right.

Taking another step closer, Cody dared to poke Mike's chest with his finger, the anger in him even rising at the flatness, the obvious cold in Mike's expression. It was as if their friendship had never even existed, as if Mike did not give a damn about him anymore, about his feelings, and calling him "kid" did not help the situation at all.

"How dare you, Mike? I know damn well what love really is. I'm not as cold and heartless as you are... I don't fuck around to get what I want... I don't use my body to get a higher paycheck, to get noticed... You're the fucking slut and still you tell me that I don't know what love is? You have absolutely NO FUCKING IDEA what is going on in my heart... you have no idea..."

He was cut off by Mike's palm connecting with his cheek, the older man finally having had enough. Being called heartless was one thing - it wasn't that far from the truth after all - but being called a slut... how dare he?

"Fucking shut up, Codes! That's not about you... It's about that perverted, ruthless, dirty bastard you call your man... Some monster like he is doesn't know shit about love, he can't love... he probably doesn't even know how to spell it. You chose him over me, over our friendship... I can cope with that, but don't you fucking dare turn it around on me. Don't you fucking dare and make this look as if it's all my fault as if it was ME kicking our friendship with his heals!"

"And you think you're that different from Randy? You're just as cold, just as perverted, just as dirty. You only know how to hide it better. How many men and women have you fucked to get what you want? You're the one who doesn't know what love is. How many times have you told me that Jake is just a toy? How you used sex to control him? How you used his love for you to manipulate him? Didn't that work anymore? Did you need to devise a new strategy to make him dance at your wishes?"

Cody's eyes were stinging with tears, his palm rubbing the spot where Mike's hand had just connected with his skin, the pain ignored in favor of the rage running through his blood, his veins. This discussion had been held back for way too long already, both their temperaments, their egos, their feelings having dwelled up over the past months until it all exploded... now.

Jake just stood, open-mouthed, gaping at the young brunette, his words slowly registering in his brain. He could not believe what he had just heard, could not believe that Mike had really said all this about him, that he had only used him. His mind was running in whirlwinds, ideas, thoughts, questions popping up in a matter of mere seconds. Am I still just a toy? Is he only using me? How could I be that stupid? What if he never changed his opinion? What if he's still manipulating me? He felt bad for even thinking all this, for letting Cody's words affect him, for listening to him, but he could not help it. After all he knew how good Mike was at manipulating people.

Mike turned to Jake, seeing the hurt in his eyes, the confusion and defeat on his face. He opened his mouth, but nothing he would say would have the desired effect. Everything he said would be seen as manipulation. Suddenly everything became too much and he was off. He stormed through the lab, knocked down a chair, scaring the sleeping kitten in the process. He fumbled with the locks on the heavy iron door, uncomfortable aware of the two men he left behind.

Finally he was out and slammed the door shut behind him. He couldn't go on for more than a few steps before he collapsed onto the cold floor. He lost Jake... He must've lost Jake. And in that moment of utter defeat, he finally realized how much he loved him. A soft mewl begged for attention, a small and soft body crawled onto his lap. Teddy must've escaped the lab at the same time he had. He hugged the little creature close in an uncharacteristic gesture of vulnerability.

Two sets of eyes stayed logged on the heavy Iron door, blues full of fury, of rage, of hurt, greens full of confusion, of pain, of surprise. Neither of them had expected Mike to run off. He had never done that before; in every situation, he had always fought back, had always fought until he had won.

Finally snapping out of it, Jake's head turned towards the young brunette, seeing his body shaking with emotions, bruise already forming on his cheek, hands still balled into fists. If he had not just hurt his lover like this, his Mike, his soul-mate, the man he loved no matter what, he would have felt sorry for the young man. He knew how much it hurt to lose a friend, but he also knew that Mike needed him now more than ever before. No matter what he had done in the past, Jake knew that Mike had changed, that his feelings had changed, their nightly love-sessions, the warmth and gentleness in his eyes whenever they held each other tight, had proven it to him...

Cody did not see it coming, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his face, a cracking noise echoing through the lab as Jake's fist connected with his nose. The blond had not even thought about it, acting out of emotion rather than out of common sense, knocking the brunette down with a low growl. "Fucking idiot!" Shaking his hand a few times, releasing the tension, cracking his knuckles, he only gave Cody one more short glance before he followed his lover outside.

Jake's eyes grew big when he saw his love crumbled on the floor, bowed over, cradling something in his arms. If he didn't know better he would've thought Mike was sobbing. He slowly walked closer, suddenly insecure again. In the past Mike had always kept him at arms length whenever he felt vulnerable. Mike would never break down somewhere anyone could witness it.

"Mike?" he said softly, not wanting to startle him.

Mike bit his lip when he heard his love's low voice, the hurt and rage in it barely contained. Every one of his instincts told him to get up and run away, but he was done with that. He was done with pretending in front of Jake. He felt like he had nothing left to lose. So he looked up, meeting those beautiful green eyes and for the first time, for the first time in his entire life, he worked his lips over those three simple - yet so difficult - words.

"I love you."

Jake's face lit up at those simple words, his lips curling into a smile though his eyes were still giving away his true feelings. He was hurt, he was confused, and he was desperate to show Mike that even though he had doubted him for a few minutes, he believed him with all his heart, he trusted him. Kneeling down next to him, thumbs wiping away the salty tears rolling down Mike's cheeks, Jake placed a chaste kiss onto the trembling lips of his lover before resting their foreheads together, looking deep into those wide, stormy, clouded blues, seeing nothing but love and pure emotion in them, his heart almost breaking.

"I know, babe... I love you, too... Don't let Cody's words get to you. He's not worth it... Randy's not worth it. All that matters is that I know how you feel and that I trust you."

Meanwhile Cody sat on the floor, hand on his nose, feeling the red liquid spill between his fingers, the physical pain replacing the emotional pain for a split second when he tried to breath through his nose. It stung, badly, but not as bad as Mike's actions did. For a split second Cody thought about telling their bosses about Mike's plans. Randy would kill him for even thinking about leaving. But he wouldn't. He was the bigger man here. He refused to become a murderer, even if all the people around him were.

Jake pulled his lover back to his feet, eyes flickering surprised to the kitten that Mike still held close.

"What are you doing with that filthy thing?"

Mike shrugged. "I like cats. They're independent and murderous and they like to play with their preys. Kinda like you and me."

"They are also dirty."

Mike grinned and opened the door to shove the kitten back inside. "I never heard you complain when I'm being dirty."

Jake squinted his eyes at Mike's sudden change in mood. He hated the doubt that Cody had instilled in him. "Mike... just be serious for a bit. I... You know... what Cody said..."

Mike sighed, he had hoped to avert the subject for now on, hoped that his confession had been enough to make Jake stop doubting. This emotional stuff... it was hard on him. "Jake... what I feel for you is real... "

Both men growled when Mike's phone rang. "What?" he barked when he answered.

He could hear the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, whoever it was probably surprised by the harshness in his voice. "Uhmm... hey boss... I hear it's a bad time to interrupt you... so I'll just call again later."

A sigh escaped his lips as the brunette ran a hand through his hair, catching the confusion in Jake's face out of the corner of his eyes and mouthing "Nick" to him before he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's okay... Cody..." Another deep breath, the pure mention of his former friends name stung like shit "... already told me you wanted to talk to me. Any news from Vickie?"

"Well, not really. I don't know why I have to work for her. I mean, it's not as if it's hurting either, but until now I couldn't find out anything at all."

Mike nodded absentmindedly. He had known right from the start that Nick's job would be more that of a boy-toy, of a servant, for his rather ugly yet kind friend, but he had really hoped for some useful information to slip. "Well, maybe she needs some more persuasion, Nick? Maybe... you could do her some more favors... some more physical favors to get me some useful information?"

"What?" Nick blurted out. "You want me to have sex with her?"

"Something like that, yeah. As far as I know Vicky she's paying you enough to make that worth it. And just remember. You have that job because i tell you to. You do what I say and that includes doing what Vicky wants you to do. She knows more than you can ever realize and I want that information. I don't care how you do it. Accompany her to her tea afternoons so she can brag about you to her friends, walk around naked in her house or have sex with her, I don't fucking care, just be useful for once. Because Nicky, if you do this thing for me, I'll really, really make it worth it for you.

"I'm not a whore," Nick protested feebly, but honestly, he could be. He would do about anything for drugs or money, anything but fucking a man. "But, boss... it would be easier if you'd tell me what you want me to find out."

Mike rubbed his face. Why was everyone so stupid? "Because I won't know what it is when I hear it. Come on Nick, quit pretending you're nothing but a dumb blond. Somewhere there're some brains in that big head of yours. Remember when you told me about Glenn Jacobs? You had no idea what they were talking about, but it was priceless."

"But Mike," the junkie whined, "all Vicky does is gossip. Are you really interested in who's daughter is pregnant by who and who's in jail and who's been busted for hacking the police station computer network?"

"Well... actually, YES, Nick... I want that information. No matter how useless or out of place it seem to be for you... just give it to me!"

Nick huffed but agreed to it, knowing all too well not to piss Mike off, especially since he already seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

"Anything new about Matthew?"

"No... I've tried to talk to him again, but he's keeping his distance from me. Don't know why."

"Damn it, Nick... Do whatever you have to do to get him to trust you. I don't want to ORDER you to fuck him, too, but if it's what..."

He was interrupted by a choked gasp from the blonde, his shaking voice chiming in before he could finish. A smirk graced his lips as he felt the bleach-blond boy drowning in nervousness. "No boss, I swear I'll get him to give me some information... I'm on my way to the gym already. Don't worry... and don't bother about Vicky... the job's almost done." Nick hurriedly finished his ramblings and ended the phone call before Mike could even tell him to hurry. At least someone still respected him.

* * *

The sound of his phone ringing snaps him out of his trance-like state, questions and thoughts having invaded his mind for the past fifteen minutes, still not believing the fight he had had with Mike, still not believing that he had said all those things to his former best friend, his only friend, the bruise on his cheek evidence enough, his obviously broken nose proof that it had really happened.

"Yeah?" His voice is shaky, croaked as he answers the call without even checking the ID, tears leaving a salty taste on his else so flawless skin, fingers trembling, hand shaking. "Hey sweetheart… Just wanted to…" He cannot hold back the sob escaping his lips, the mere thought of Randy, his deep, sultry voice, the image of him smiling, making his dams break once again. "Babe? You okay?"

Randy can hear it, can hear the distress his boy's in, can hear the heavy sobs on the other end, can even imagine his boy sitting crouched up on his bed –though in reality it is the chair in his lab- lips trembling and hair ruffled up. "Yeah… just… can you come over, please?" Even though he has other plans for the day, much more important stuff to do, taking care of business, Randy cannot help but nod his head, already on his way out of his office without any hesitation at all. He hates hearing his boy cry, hates seeing him distressed, hates when someone, something hurt him, brought him to the verge of break-down.

Minutes later –having sped down the few blocks from his office- he's holding the young brunette in his arms, comforting him after a short episode of rage coming upon seeing the bruise, the blood in his lovers face. The tears in Cody's eyes however had snapped him out of it only seconds later and cradling the boy in his lap, caressing his fluffy, soft hair with soft, soothing strokes, Randy listened to Cody's ramblings, feeling him relax into his embrace slowly but steadily.

Coming out between sobs the words first did not make any sense to him, all he could understand was "Mike… fight… hurt… love… friend… slut… kid… Jake… hit… fist…" but as soon as Cody's nerves calm down, the words slowly forming whole sentences again, he knows, and the rage comes back. Nobody hurt his Cody like that; nobody touched him like that, not without consequences, that was for sure.

* * *

The ride to their destination was unusually silent, Mike's thoughts still lingering on his fight with Cody and the words of the younger man. He knew Jake would not listen, but still he was afraid that his lover believed those words, that he would doubt his feelings, their relationship. After all, it had been true, everything Cody had said… it HAD been true. Even though Jake had told him he trusted him, he could not help Cody's words ringing in his ears over and over again. It hurt, a lot. Of all the people he knew, all the friends he had ever had, Cody had been the one meaning most to him, the one he had trusted the most, and over the last few days, it had all gone to hell.

First Cody choosing Randy over him – honestly, he could understand, he would also chose Jake over Cody anytime, but Jake was not the bastard, the monster Randy was - and now Cody using his trust to ruin his relationship with Jake, to hit him where it hurt the most.

Jake knew better than to interrupt his thoughts, his hand – in a simple but loving gesture - resting on the brunette's thigh, reassuringly squeezing it every now and then.

Finding Randy's sister had been easy, but getting her to agree to a meeting with them had taken quite some time and work. It had been another reason for Mike's unusual good mood this morning, the young woman had called him back only minutes after he had woken up in Jake's arms, in his warmth, and gave him the time for them to meet up. Now he would finally be able to find out more about Randy's past. Ever since that conversation with Vickie, he had not been able to forget about her words, the hints at Randy's past, his obviously miserable childhood, and he had been curious about the details. Maybe Randy's sister would be able to give him some information; some dirt about that monster, and maybe it would not only give Mike something to hold against his boss but would also give him something to finally open Cody's eyes. No doubt, his young friend –ex-friend- was being blind-sighted by Randy.

After their talk with Randy's sister, he would think about the tape Glenn had sent them and how to use it on Hennigan. Maybe, after all, the day would still be turning into some fun.

By the time they reached the house –rather a Villa- outside of town, Mike's lips had curled up into a content smile again. They parked outside, two houses further down the street, and walked the few feet towards the big Iron-gate, both of them stopping to gaze at the beautiful, proud-looking, white building. Obviously, Randy was not the only one in the family owning a lot of money.

The gate opened after they had made their arrival known, Jake reassuringly squeezing Mike's arm a last time before falling a few steps back to walk behind him, willing to let his older yet smaller lover do all the work today. He was only there to observe, to be at his side, his helping hand in case he would need one –though he doubted that anything would happen just by the look of peace and quiet radiating from the estate.

A young, slender brunette, beautiful long, curly hair, opened the door for them, a slight touch of make-up barely covering the bags underneath her blood-shot hazel-browns. Even though he had never seen her before, Mike knew that it had to be Randy's sister, the similarities in their features giving the siblings away. The formalities were quickly taken care off, hands shaken, introductions made, drinks brought, seats taken.

Leaning casually back into the cushions, arm resting on the back of the couch, one long, slender leg draped over the other, Rebecca eyed the duo carefully, a warm yet pretending smile gracing her tired features. "So, you are friends of Randy?" Mike nodded, bracing his elbows on his thighs, holding eye contact with her while he spoke. "Yeah, good friends… and partners." She was not stupid; she knew it was probably a lie. "I'm sorry, but my brother and I barely talk to each other anymore, so I doubt I will be able to help you out."

Yeah, that was definitely Randy's sister, the same coldness now clouding her eyes, cocky smirk on her lips, her angel-like features fading in order to pretend to be tough. Two could play this game though. "We don't want to steal your precious time for no reason, Miss… Randy hasn't been the same as of late. He's become distant, depressed, he's sad, he's barely talking to anyone anymore. We thought that maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with his past and that you could tell us about it. We really don't know how else to help him anymore. We've already tried everything possible." He made sure that his voice trembled slightly, the tone showing concern, eyes even watering a bit as they locked with those of Randy's sister, studying her reaction, gauging for her to fall for his trick.

Jake had to hold back the proud smirk wanting to break out all over his face at the perfect role his lover was playing.

"Randy had a great childhood, getting everything he ever wanted. I doubt it has something to do with it." She did not budge one bit, her voice stern, calm, as her lean fingers played with her thin summer dress. Seemed as if Mike had to play trick 17 then, though he had no idea if it would work.

"Please… we are really concerned for him… afraid that he might even… that he… well…" He let his voice break, lips starting to tremble, a choked sob escaping him before he continued. "… Maybe it has something to do with his father calling him a few weeks ago?"

At the word "father" the brunette saw her eyes flicker, her body tensing, obviously having hit a nerve with his guess. That was all it had been: a guess. Jake, too, could sense her upcoming nervousness, Rebecca rubbing her left arm, her body starting to rock back and forth, as she chewed her lips. "Miss?" "I'm sorry… I… I can't… well…" It was not only a nervous ramble but more like a mental breakdown displaying right in front of their eyes. "Bob's a good father… he loves me… and he loved Randy even more… he just… he… he's shown it different than other dads… It was… Randy… he never forgave him. He hated him… still hates him for… for what he's done… though Bob only ever wanted the best for him."

Nothing she was saying made real sense to Mike or to Jake- the brunette's brows furrowing in confusion as he leant further forward to understand the lithe woman better between her sobbing. "Excuse me… but… what did he do to Randy exactly?" Even though he knew that he was pushing his luck, Mike just had to know. Both men were holding their breath' as they were waiting for the young beauty's answer, the woman now lowering not only her head but also her voice. "He… he touched him… he loved him so much." Now it finally dawned to them, two simultaneous gasps filling the air, Mike's eyes widening in surprise, in shock.

He had pretty much counted on anything –physical abuse, punishment, alcohol- but not that. It definitely explained a lot to him, even though it did not excuse any of Randy's behavior… it never would.

They stayed for more than an hour, listening to the complete story of Orton's childhood, interested, surprised, curious, taking it all in, every single information, every little detail Rebecca told them. They made their excuses around noon, wishing the woman all the best, thanking her, after making sure she would not let their visit slip to Randy, convincing her that if he knew, he would shut himself out even more.

"No word to anyone, Jake… I'll use those information as soon as I find the best possible way, something that'll pay out for me… for us."

"Sure, boss!" It had been the only words spoken on their way back to the lab, Mike's wheels already spinning, trying to come up with the ideal plan to use those details against Randy, while Jake wondered how much of this all Cody knew, or Ted. Maybe they could not only pay Randy back with this information but also get rid of the two people in his life that were obviously the only ones trusting him, the only ones still left on his side.

* * *

**REVIEW!**


	13. Boiling point

**A/N: Legacy_Chick: Those two chaps took us long enough. ****We promise to update a lot more often from now on again... even though I dunno if we can keep this promise. (NB Legacy_chick has been good and posted the last chap ages ago)**

**Me: ****You know what helps to motivate to write this story and not stare mindlessly at the tv or write other stuff? Reviews... loads and loads of them. I really like this chapter. I needed it to get some rage out of me. That's what I love so much about this story, I can been mean and insane and completely forget about all morals. It keeps me sane somehow.**

**Legacy_chick: ****nods So true... This chap will have a lot of tension, frustration, violence, well... pretty much a lot of drama. Kind of to make it up to you all.****Now, if Mizzy does not want to say anything else... I think we shall finally give you what you all so badly want: the new chap. Enjoy!**

**WARNING: Fluff, lots of violence, blood, cussing, more violence and some atheism and slash of course.**

**DISCLAIMER: Again people, no matter how much we wish it wasn't so, we don't own them, we don't even know them. This story is NOT based on reality, it's pure fiction! Of course, our muses do exist (they'll kill us I call them imaginary) and they have a huge part in creating this insanity. They seem to get more evil with the day *shudders*. **

* * *

Early in the morning, at least for Randy's likings, Cody had tried to get his mind off things. He had stayed with Randy last night, at his house, in his bedroom, their safe haven, the older man nursing his bruise, nursing his sore lips, nursing his hurt feelings until they had fallen asleep arm in arm. It had surprised him how genuinely caring the older man could be, for once they had not even had sex –something they usually did every single time they stayed over at Randy's house.

When his nerves had finally calmed down and he had stopped sobbing, Cody had even had some time to concentrate on his lover and had instantly felt the tension. He knew how hard it had been for him to stay in control of his emotions, of his anger, how much it had taken him to not just storm out again and follow Jake wherever he had gone, to beat him up, to take revenge, to kill him remorseless, and he was thankful for it. He knew if it had not been for him and his plea a few days ago, Randy would have probably just snapped; though, actually he would not even have stopped him this time.

Those thoughts, and more, were still running through his mind this morning, after Randy had even gotten up early –just for him- and accompanied him to the lab. They had already shared a few cups of coffee, Cody working on yet another formula for some new powder while Randy had resumed to just watching him, every now and then not able to help himself and distracting him with a few kisses here and there. Ted had not shown up in time, having called Randy last night to explain something about a family-emergency and that he would probably not be able to be at the lab until 10 or 11 am.

That is what time it was now, and as if he knew it, Cody looked up from his desk just in time for the southern blond to walk inside, eyes blood-shot as if he had not slept all night, hair ruffled and clothes wrinkled. Actually, those clothes looked the same as yesterday. Arching a brow, the young brunette leaned back in his chair, sucking his bottom lip in before speaking.

"Aww… Teddy bear. You look like shit. What happened?" A smirk spread across his handsome features, the young man waited for a reply but only got a short grunt and a shoulder-shrug from the older blond. "No, really, Teddy… What's wrong?" This time he really tried to sound concerned, even putting on the best frown possible, though he was innerly laughing his ass off.

"Nothing… Just…" Ted glanced around the room as he chewed on his lips, hands nervously stuck into his pockets as he avoided eye contact with the Georgia-native "… Can we talk… like… alone?" Now, this caught Cody's attention and suddenly the laughter inside died as he leaned forward until his elbows were resting on his knees, regarding Ted with an honest frown, eyes sparkling with real worry.

"Sure… as you can see, we are all alone. No one here to distract us." Of course, it was a lie, but wanting to know what his lover from a few nights ago had to say to him, he thought better of it and let Ted talk.

"You know… three nights ago…"

Oh, that would definitely be interesting, Cody's smirk returning as he licked his lips, shimmer of lust in his bright blues as he listened on.

"… Well… I actually don't do stuff like this… you know."

"Stuff like what, Teddy? I think I've forgotten what happened that night… You might need to remind me." This game would be just too damn easy, but Cody could not help it, chair moving closer towards the nervous Southern Boy, close enough to see the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead as he cleared his throat.

"Well… you know… sleeping with another man."

"Oh Teddy, you call that sleeping with another man? I would have rather called it 'Fucking my brains out' Damn, Teddy, damn!"

If it was possible, Ted blushed even more, his gaze staying fixed on the rather dirty floor as he swallowed down the lump forming in his throat, hands neatly folded in front of his painfully hardening groin. "Well… as said, I usually don't do stuff like that and… well… since it was a sin, practically… well, it IS a sin… and I went to confess the next day and father Brooks said that… if I really want to ask for forgiveness, I should… you know… I should bring you with me. He says it might help you, to see your wrongs and regret your sins… and maybe I… maybe HE can help you, too… God can help you, you know?"

Cody was seriously on the verge of breaking out in laughter now, one hand in front of his mouth, clamped over his mouth, to shut himself up as he fought the tears of amusement, the other hand tightly grasping the edge of the chair to prevent himself from falling off. He had never been a believer, the only thing he ever thought existed was destiny, and he sure would not change it for Ted, in fact, he doubted he would ever change it for anyone.

However, hearing all this stuff from the Angel-boy himself, the same guy who had fucked him good and thoroughly only a few nights ago, he could not help but find sheer amusement.

"And why do you think I should do that, Teddy?" Willing his voice to stay calm, the chuckles wanting to escape swallowed down as he forced his features not to give him away, Cody leaned back in his chair again and folded his arms in front of his chest.

It was the first time that Ted found his eyes ever since he had arrived, the pain, the love, the warmth in those green pearls almost, ALMOST, making Cody regret his little game. "Because I love you… and I want to be with you. You know that I'm better than Randy; you know I would treat you better. I'd treat you like the prince you are… just… I cannot be with you unless you confess your sins, unless god forgives you."

Now the young brunette really could not hold back anymore. With a snort, his torso shot forward, a roar of laughter following as he clapped his hand on his thigh. The look of sheer heartbreak on Ted's face only causing him to laugh harder, tears streaming down his cheeks, breathing ragged, almost non-existent as his whole body shook in amusement.

"I… but I thought…"

Ted was interrupted by another fit, Cody's head shaking from left to right as he inhaled sharply, trying to get some control back. Knowing that looking at Ted probably would not help his case; he shut his eyes tightly, willing himself to get out a few words himself. "You… you really thought… Fuck Teddy…" This time, after only a short fit of giggles, he was able to control his outburst. "Did you really think… I'd… I'd love you? I'd be together with you? Oh god…"

Another giggle came out, Ted's face blushing profoundly as he tried to swallow down the lump in his throat, tried to keep the tears from falling, hands balling into fists at his sides. He was devastated. How could he truly think Cody was ever going to love him, someone like him? A failure, a disgrace, someone as nasty, as dirty as him. He should have known.

"What's so funny?"

The low rumble made Ted immediately flinch, his whole body tensing as he watched the tall, tattooed male make his way past him out of the corner of his eyes. Cody's smirk did not go unnoticed either by the blond and neither did the quick wink he gave Ted when he got off the chair.

"Nothing, baby… Teddy just asked me to go to church with him. He thinks praying and confessing my sins will make me a better person."

After handing the ice pack he had just gotten out of Cody's room to his younger lover, Randy let himself fall down on the chair the younger man had previously occupied, eyebrow quirked up as he regarded Ted with his trademark smirk.

"Really now? How comes, Teddy? You don't want my boy to become good, do you?"

Ted was too stunned, too scared, too disappointed to form any words, gulping audibly as his eyes stayed fixed on his boss/friend and the young man he had just confessed his love to, hoping, PRAYING that the brunette would not say anything. The encounter with Randy from a few days ago was still heavily embedded in his memory and even though he doubted his friend would kill him, he was sure Randy would not beg down from hurting him, physically as well as mentally.

However, he did not have to worry, because neither Cody nor Randy were waiting for an answer, the younger brunette already comfortable in their boss' lap, chuckling and squirming as Randy kissed and sucked at his neck, hands visibly roaming over the lithe hips underneath Cody's shirt.

After what had just occurred, after Cody just embarrassing him like that, his heart broken and his spirit gone, it was the last thing he wanted to see, the last thing he was able to go through. How much Ted just wanted to tell Randy about their night right then and there, to embarrass Cody just as much as he had done to him… but he knew better than that. In the end, HE would be the one feeling Randy's wrath, not Cody.

Even though Randy was a bastard, an asshole, even though he did not care who got hurt and who they killed, Ted knew he would never lay a hand on Cody. Everyone knew that, especially after what had displayed in front of them days ago when Cody had slapped their boss without so much of a growl from the older man.

Knowing he would have to stay in the lab all day long, with Cody, the man who had just laughed into his face, his anger grew even more. Face reddening with every second, eyes fixed on the fresh couple -laying their love out in the open, practically throwing it in his face, displaying their feelings towards each other right in front of him- his blood started to boil.

Cody's squirming form rubbing against his jeans-covered groin drew growl after groan after growl from Randy, only making the young man innocently giggle, Ted's existence long forgotten as he reveled into Randy's soft touch on his bare skin, only millimeters above his waistband, his older lovers lips so gently brushing over his sensitive skin right behind his ear, the rock-hard bulge pressing against his bum.

It was the perfect way for Randy to forget about the happenings of the last day, of his precious Cody getting hurt, physically, mentally. It had almost ripped him apart to see his boy like that, to see him cry, to hear him sob, to see those usually bright and warm eyes so full of pain and disappointment. He had wanted to go after Jake right then and there, and after that, he would have paid Mike a visit, but he had known better than that. He could not have left Cody alone like that, even if he had wanted to.

Now, after they had spent the night together in nothing but silence, Cody flinching at every single touch of his until he had fallen asleep, he was more than glad that he opened up again, that he relaxed, that he enjoyed himself, his time.

"I gotta use the bathroom, babe… You don't go anywhere."

The blond had forced himself to stay calm, to not say a word, trying to focus on other things than the two of them, though he had not quite managed to do right that, his gaze drifting over to them every now and then, the lump in his throat growing while tears started to dwell up in his eyes. Rage had given way to frustration, which again had faded in order to let his disappointment come through.

Willing himself to keep his façade up, he watched Randy leave them alone, using his chance to speak up as soon as the bathroom door was closed. "Randy's been abused, you know? He's been raped by his dad, beaten up, his mom never gave him any love at all… He's not able to love."

Cody's brows shot up as he took in Ted's words, not surprised by the facts –he already knew them first hand after all- but by Ted's guts to bring up the topic.

As soon as the words had blurted out, Ted knew he had made a mistake. If Randy found out he had spilled, he sure as hell would not only lose his job, but also his friend… maybe even his health, his life.

"I know that already, Ted… and I beg to differ. Only cause he never experienced love, does not mean he is unable to give love."

Now it was the blonde's turn to be surprised, words almost being stuck in his throat as he stared at the young Georgia-native wide-eyed. "He… He told you?"

Getting out of his chair, slowly striding over to Ted, regarding him carefully, questioningly, Cody licked his lips, a small smirk growing on them once again. "Yes, he did… In fact, he did it right after our little 'encounter'." His hands rose to underline the last word with quotation marks. "Did you seriously think I could love you, Ted? I mean… was I that convincing?"

Cody did not really wait for an answer, hearing the water of the bathroom-sink running, knowing Randy would be back in only a few seconds. Taking another step closer, face to face with the shaking, trembling blond, he continued. "Sorry, Teddy-bear… as much as I loved having your dick up my ass… I'll never love you. I could never fall for someone as pathetic and as whiny as you are. I need a real man… and believe me when I say that Randy is a thousand times more of a man than you are."

Feeling his heart literally breaking into a million pieces, Ted's head fell, his eyes blackening, body going numb, breath seemingly stopping. The young brunette stepped away from him just in time for Randy to come back, the content hum from their boss' lips already just a blur to Ted while Cody smirked proudly, cockily over at his lover, patting Ted's cheek gently for a last time before retreating over to his desk.

For Ted, it would not only be the longest day of his life, but days -from now on- would be hell, his own, self-made hell.

* * *

It was time for him to leave. As much as he wanted to stay with Cody all day long, enjoying the presence of his young lover way too much for his own liking, he still needed to take care of business. Finances had to be handled, drugs and weapons needed to be ordered and most of all, he still had to think of a way to get his hands on Jake for hurting his precious one. He didn't need to think for long though. Jake was just turning around the corner, two bags of Chinese Food in his hand while he chatted away on his cell-phone. From what he could understand he was telling Mike he'd be there in a second, already outside. He tensed up when he saw the guy that had dared to lay hands on his boy, lips pulled up into a snarl as a low growl left his lips.

Jake snapped his head up, instincts warned him that something was very, very wrong. "Fuck," he spat out when he met the cold eyes of the viper. Without explaining what was happening he hung up the phone. He rather had Mike pissed with him, then exposing him to Randy when he was in a mood like this. He wished he had his gun, but it hadn't seem necessary. He cursed again. This was the last time he would ever leave the house unarmed again. He flexed his shoulder, the pain was still there, but barely. His arm would work just fine as long as Randy wouldn't target it directly. If only Randy wasn't armed himself.

He had wanted this confrontation for ages, but not under this condition, not with Randy pumped up with insanity, not while he still wasn't in top condition. He wanted it to be in a time and place of his choice. So he would do anything to avoid it right now.

"Randy," he replied meeting the other's eyes dead on. He wished he had Mike's skills of getting out of a confrontation. With the thought of his lover the rage started to take over his own body. This was the guy that had abused and hurt his Mike for years. He was the one who deserved revenge, not Randy.

The dark man noticed when he saw that predatory gleam appear in Jake's eyes. It made the voices go wild with bloodlust. "It's your chance to kill him. He's weakened... he's alone... he's unarmed. He hurt the love of your life. Get him! Show him who the stronger guy is once and for all!"

Without so much of another word, Randy lunged at the blond, fist connecting with Jake's jaw before he had any time to react. The growl escaping Randy sounded almost unearthly, his eyes flashing with pure rage, pure anger, pure possessiveness as they fell to the cold, dirty concrete.

Jake ducked his head to avoid the hands going for his throat. Randy fought like a wild animal, not caring for protecting himself, no regard for his own safety and this gave Jake the chance he needed to respond with a hard headbut, his forehead connecting with Randy's nose. He could here

20:16

He could hear the snapping sound of a breaking nose. Randy didn't stop his assault however, he seemed unaware of the pain, untroubled by the blood flowing over his face. It was time to play it dirty then and he rose his knee quick enough to ram it straight into the brunette's groin, a pained gasp ringing through the air as Randy rolled off him. He took the chance to get some blows in himself, his fists flying left and right, Randy's hands trying to cover most of his face as Jake hovered above him.

"You jackass! Look at... what you've done... to Mike.. and tell me why... I shouldn't... kill you!" His breath was coming out in short pants, the sweat covering his forehead a clear sign of exhaustion as he battered the perfect face of his boss again and again until the older man finally found his strength again. Closing his eyes had brought the image of a hurt, crying Cody upon him and with a renewed rage, re-found power he began once again to struggle back.

Chris was softly singing when he made his way to the lab. He had had the best night possible, if only for the reason that he had been able to torture Angel-boy. Ted had practically wept from joy when Chris had finally released him from his service. Maybe that visit to the strip club hadn't been necessary, but it had been too funny to resist and the little minx he had been able to stick his dick in later that night had been an extra-plus adding to his already annoyingly good mood.

He stopped when he heard the obvious sounds of fighting around the back of the lab. Hesitating between the urge to run and simple curiosity he made his way around the house to get a look of what happening. His eyes went wide when he saw his partner in a deadly fight with their assassin. He sighed annoyed. Was he really the only one with brains around here?

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Mike ran downstairs cursing, only pausing to get his gun from his room. He had no idea if he would get a chance to use it without hurting Jake, but he had no intention to face Orton unarmed anytime soon. They needed to move out of here, things were quickly becoming too dangerous. Once outside he quickly assessed the situation. It was impossible to see who was winning the fight. It was even, too even. Chris was being useless as ever, screaming as a girl, ordering them to stop fighting. Only him stamping his feet missed.

Cody was standing a few feet away, watching the fight with big eyes. There was someone who could stop the fight, if he wanted to. If only Wade would be here. Mike walked towards Cody, eyes never leaving the fighting men, hand on his gun. He wouldn't hesitate to use it if he had the chance. "Cody... tell Randy to stop!"

However, the youngest one did not budge; he did not even so much as give him a look as he clenched his jaw, a simple "No" being the only answer Mike received. His patience grew thin, face reddening with rage as he stared at his former best friend in disbelief before a loud "Oomph" caught his attention again. Randy had hit Jake square in the jaw, the blonde's head snapping back as Randy lunged back onto him, the crazy look in his eyes gaining a gasp from not only Mike but also Chris. The only one not even making a single noise was Cody whose lips slowly twitched up into a sick smirk.

Mike went pale, all the feelings he might have had for Cody went out of the window. With slow deliberate motions, he pulled the gun out of the waistband of his jeans and put it against Cody's head. "You tell him to stop right now, or I'll swear I'll shoot your head off." Cody gulped, the cold barrel of the gun pressed against the back of his head. He did not dare to meet Mike's eyes to see if he meant it. "Mike... please..."

"Stop him now! Or do you want to find out how heartless I really am?"

Chris had stopped his screaming and stared wide-eyed as his protégé held Cody at gunpoint. At this moment, he could not tell who was crazier, Mike or Randy. It was not a soothing thought.

Cody didn't want Jake dead, he only wanted him hurt. He wouldn't let it come to the point where Randy sacrificed a life just because of him. However, Mike did not know that and he doubted that Mike even cared about his thoughts right now. His only chance was to do what his former friend ordered. Swallowing again, with shaking hands and a trembling voice, he called out to his lover, silently praying that he would listen.

"Randy... Stop... Please!"

As soon as his lovers scared, shaky voice reached his ears, Randy's head jerked up, his eyes instantly falling to the scene displaying only a few feet away. Using the distraction to strike, Jake's fist came up to connect with Randy's nose once again, the blood leaping in every direction, the loud cracking of yet another bone making everyone in hearing-distance flinch.

Before any further damage could be done, Chris sprung forward to get a hold of Jake while Cody shoved Mike away and ran over to his bloodied, bruised and defeated lover, quickly slithering down on his knees besides him.

Jake was still trembling with rage, fighting against the hands that restraint him, wanting to finish this once and for all. Chris might be a coward, he wasn't an idiot and he knew how to fight dirty. He twisted Jake's arm on his back, almost dislocating the already injured shoulder.

"Don't Jake. He's had enough. And you better hope that you knocked him fuzzy enough to make him forget about the gun Mike just pulled on his boyfriend."

Jake's eyes snapped at his lover, rage immediately replaced with fear for Mike's life. There was no gun in sight, but that didn't mean Mike didn't have one.

"Let me go," Jake growled, still struggling to get free.

Randy's head was cradled in his younger lovers neck, short pants and pained groans pretty much the only signs that he was still conscious. His eyes were shut tight, Cody's sweaty, still trembling hands soothingly caressing the dirty, messed up hair as he swallowed hard, his own eyes staying focused on the two blonds.

Chris' grip on the tall assassin's arm was still tight enough to hold him back but slowly loosening as he whispered in his ear, "Be wise and let Randy be. You don't wanna cause more trouble than you already have."

Even though he barely registered the words -the only thing on his mind now the safety of Mike- he nodded slowly, feeling Chris' fist opening and setting him free. Cody tensed up, ready to throw himself between Jake and Randy if needed. But he shouldn't have feared. The moment Jake was free, he was on Mike's side, pulling him after him, hand on the brunette's back.

"Maybe it's best if we get outta here for a while."

Mike nodded, mind overflowing with the consequences of what just had happened, none of it good.

Chris' mind was also reeling. For the sake of it, he could not deal with fights like this anymore. It had already been the second time in a matter of a few weeks that the two of them had almost killed each other. He did not care whose fault it had been and who had started it; all he knew was that it had to stop immediately. He could not risk the police coming onto them only because they were falling apart, emotions getting the best of them.

* * *

Wade made his way through an unfamiliar part of town. Mike had ordered him half an hour ago to meet him in an apartment building near the city center. He had no idea why the brunette wanted to meet away from the lab or why he wanted to see him at all. Mike had sounded cold and harsh and it had seemed best not to ask questions. He stopped in front of a luxurious looking building and double-checked if this was the right place. He shrugged and rung the bell. Mike's voice sounded through the intercom and he was buzzed in. Upstairs Jake opened the door.

"What the hell happened to you, mate?" Wade stared surprised at Jake's black eye and thick cheek; his eyebrow was stitched up again and he moved as if he was in pain.

"I knocked Cody out yesterday. Randy didn't appreciate it." Jake answered with a grin on his face. The fight today had shown him that he could handle Randy when the time came and the circumstances were right. "That's why we're here. It seemed better to keep away from him for a bit. It's a friend's place."

"It's nice."

"It is… but it also has nosy neighbors, so it's far from ideal. You had better come in. Mike wants to speak with you, but I warn you, he's in a very foul mood."

Jake was not kidding. Mike's face was tense, eyes filled with barely contained rage. He was as angry with himself as at Randy and Cody. He had made a mess of things. He never should have started that fight with Cody yesterday. He also should have realized that Randy would take revenge. He could be lucky that Randy had not noticed the gun he had pointed at his precious boy's temple; else, he would have been dead in a heartbeat. There was no doubt about it.

He was furious that he was forced to run away, as if he was scared. That he had to hide. He was even more enraged by the fact that he indeed was scared. He feared for Jake's life and for his own. Randy needed to die, but not yet, not now. First, they needed him to fall.

He snapped his head up at the loud knock on his door, eyes not even softening at the warm smile his lover sent him. Jake cringed, but said nothing. That would come when they were alone again. He sat down on a chair in a corner, pressing the icepack against his cheek again.

Wade's eyes flickered from Jake to Mike. You did not need to be a genius to see that something was wrong. He forced his expression to stay neutral and focused on his "boss".

"You wanted to see me, Mike?"

"I need a favor. This isn't work, it's personal. I can't pay you for it and you can say 'no' if you don't want to." His voice was flat, impersonal. It was a side of Mike, Wade had not seen yet. Mike might say he had a choice, but he had the feeling that saying 'no' would not be a wise career move.

"Tell me what you need."

Mike did not give any indication that this pleased him. Acting happy or satisfied was beyond him today.

"Remember Matt? The guy we sold to Glenn?"

Wade nodded. He already had a feeling where this was heading.

"I want his boyfriend. Name is John Hennigan. Here's some pictures, address, work, habits, shit like that." Mike threw an envelop on the table. "I want you to get him for me, lure him in by telling him you know where Matt is. Give him hope, make him trust you and make him follow you to an address I'll give you later. He knows Jake and me and will never trust us. You need to be careful with this. He isn't a nobody like Matt. People will ask questions when he disappears. Make sure nothing can be traced back to you, to us."

Wade frowned, slowly nodding. He was already thinking about how to pull it off. He liked a challenge like this. "I'll do my best, boss." At least that brought a slight smirk to Mike's lips. Wade certainly knew how to caress his ego. "I'm sure this won't be a problem. It actually sounds like some fun." His eyes flickered with a hint of sadistic desire, lips forming a wicked smirk of his own as he took the envelop.

"Good. Call me when you know how you're gonna do it. If needed you can talk things over with Jake. He knows John and can help you come up with a plan."

Mike turned back to his computer. It was obvious the talk was over. Jake shrugged and motioned Wade to follow him out into the living room again, the ice pack still firmly clutched to his cheek.

"I would offer you a beer, but you see how he is today." Wade only nodded as his eyes followed Jake's to the now closed door to their bedroom. "We'd appreciate it if you don't l say a word to anyone… especially not to Cody."

Now that actually got the tall ravenette's attention and his brows shot up in curiosity as his lips curled up into a frown. "Cody, huh?"

The blond just shook his head though, placing a hand on his lower back to lead him towards the door.

"Don't ask, just do it, please." He knew, he was not in a position to ask any further. The chances of Mike and Jake losing their trust in him if he kept on digging were higher than the chances of them telling him anything, so he just nodded his head. "Sure."

Jake seemed pleased with his answer, a small smile appearing on his lips as he opened the door to the outside world again. "We're here for a reason, you know? No one is supposed to…"

"…to find out. I understand. Trust me."

That seemed to please the tall blond even more as the smile widened and he clapped Wade's shoulder. "Good… good… and if you need anything, you know who to call." It was not a question but a statement since the answer was already a given. With that said, the door was closed and Wade's wheels were already spinning, the sick grin on his lips signaling that he already had a plan formed how to lure that John in.

* * *

Mike lay on his bed, face cradled in his hands and he stared at Jake who had just come out of the shower. For once, there was no lust in his eyes as he watched the blond dressed in only a towel, still dripping wet, skin glistening under the influence of tiny water-droplets. His eyes missed their usual gleam; no devilish smirk adorned his lips. Even the rage that had consumed him all day had left him. Instead he looked bleak, blank, worn out, almost defeated.

"I hate this, Jay." Even his voice sounded weak.

"What, babe?" Jake was worried, but knew better than to show it. Instead, he went on his usual business, acutely aware of the man lying on the bed, but seemingly only giving him a small part of his attention.

"Having feelings. Life was so much easier without it." He sounded bitter, not jesting as he had meant it to. Jake tensed up at both the words and the tone. He did not like were this was going and suddenly all his attention went to his lover, eyes traveling over the prone form.

"Mike, babe…" he had no idea what to say, how to bring them back on the right path again. He sat down on the bed with a sigh of defeat and put his hand on the small of Mike's back, fingers rubbing small circles into the tense muscles.

Mike sighed deeply and turned around to look into the emerald eyes he loved. He felt even worse when he saw the worry, the scars that Jake was trying so hard to hide. He was desperate for Jake to put things back to the way they should be. It was a dependence he hated, a weakness he feared.

_This wasn't him. Was it all worth it?_

"Change is hard…" Jake brushed a soothing thumb over Mike's cheekbone. "But it isn't all bad, right?"

He did not get the response he hoped for. Instead Mike shrugged, an all-too-familiar coldness creeping into his eyes. "I was perfectly happy with whom I was and the way my life was. I never felt bad about it. Until you and Regal gave me a taste of something better, something more and everything started to fall apart."

No, Jake really did not like where this was going at all. Maybe he should have been glad that Mike was opening up to him, but he'd rather not hear this, rather not see Mike slip back behind the safety of his cold, unforgiving walls.

"You'll adapt. You always have. No matter what shit was thrown your way, you used it to make you stronger." He lay down beside Mike, shifting around until he was spooned up against the brunette and pulled him close, lips teasing the soft skin under his ear. "I always admired that about you. When I was still a kid, I thought you had to be a superhero."

"A super villain I hope," Mike grinned at this confession. He had always known that Jake had worshipped the ground he walked on, even back then, but he had never put it into words before.

"Even better. Heroes are boring anyway. What I mean is that you might hurt today, but tomorrow you'll find a way to turn things around and use them to your advantage. Or at least plan your revenge. This time it won't be any different, believe me."

"Once again, Mike pulled back, staring deep into Jake's perfectly clear eyes to see if he meant it. Shaking his head, he let go of a shaky sigh before burying his face back into Jake's chest. At least he felt safe there, in his arms, cradled up against his body. "I wish I could, Jay, I wish I could."

"Hey… Look at me!" The blond was slowly getting frustrated, not with Mike but rather with the situation in general. Not really knowing what to say, what to do, not having a solution for the problem was really nagging on his nerves. Grasping Mike's cheeks in his palms, he forced him to look back up, ignoring the slight sting of pain in his heart at the defeated, the almost hopeless look in Mike's eyes.

"We'll do this, we'll do this together. John's already taken care off. We'll find a way to shut Cody up and I have absolutely no doubt that when the time has finally come and Randy's guard is down, I won't have any trouble getting rid of that bastard." He could clearly feel Mike's body tense at the mention of Randy's name, placing a chaste kiss on the brunette's forehead before continuing. "And when this is all done and over with, we'll both kill Chris… how would you like that, babe, huh?"

Even though he was not in the mood for it, Mike could not help his lips twitching up in the slightest of smiles, eyes showing a hint of gleam in them, a hint of desire. "It sounds good." His voice though, showed no emotion whatsoever.

Letting his hand travel from his lovers lower back to the firm, round globes of the pert ass, he gave him a re-assuring squeeze. "And then…" Leaning forward, Jake brushed his lips over Mike's ear, his soft, husked whisper making the younger man almost purr. "… We can finally live the life we deserve."

The expression in Mike's eyes had changed while Jake talked. He was seeing opportunities again instead of problems. Thankful for his lover's ability to distract him, to make him see things a different way, he cuddled closer against the strong arms that managed to make him feel at ease and with a content he had not felt in ages, he could finally close his eyes and relax.

* * *

**please review. I wasn't kidding about those evil muses. There's no saying whet they'll do when they get bored.**


	14. Talk is cheap

**A/N **

**Me: Look how quickly we updated? How great is that? And considering the amount of writer's block i have at the moment I'm really proud. Feeling peaceful for once doesn't really help with writing, especially this story .**

**Legacy_chick: Very true... hmmm... for those who haven't read it now, we probably won't update for a while since I'm on NaNoWriMo-hiatus. Means, I don't have time for anything else until finishing that novel.**

**Me: So Legecy_chick is on NaNoWriMo-hiatus, I am on peace-and-quiet-hiatus, though I will try to finish some stuff I've started ages ago. But to make this story great I need drama and anger and frustration and considering my work that will happen sooner or later. Anyway, enough rambling, on with the story. Personally I think this chap has turned out a bit lame... so I'm sorry...**

**Legacy_chick: Yeah, as said, we aren't exactly the best writers when feeling all peaceful and relaxed The drama will happen again sooner or later though. Now, enjoy and don't forget to keep the reviews coming! Lots of them!**

**WARNING: No sex this time, just the usual bad language, mention of murder, drugging, err... that's it I think. We've been good this chap :)**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, all characters belong to WWE, though the crazy ideas and the wicked muses belong to us... and we wouldn't want it any other way. That's a lie, we wanna own the real guys and have even divided them between ourselves. Can anyone guess who gets who?**

* * *

**Chapter 14 Talk is cheap**

It was already late afternoon the next day when Randy joined Chris in his office, following the order - or rather plea- by his older, more experienced partner. The blond had told him over the phone that they needed to talk business as soon as possible and even though Randy would've rather stayed at home for the day, nursing his injuries from his fight with Jake, he recommended that it would be better to take the offer of a good glass of Scotch. It was easier anyway. Chris wouldn't stop nagging him before they had talked, so giving in was the only possible option.

Cody was busy in the lab anyway, working on another formula. The boy took his job a lot more serious than Randy did, because even though the older male had begged him this morning to stay - yes, begged - the young brunette had left him an hour later with strict instructions to stay in bed, to only move if really needed and to take only two painkillers over the day. He could not have wished for a better nurse, or a hotter one, though he was already thinking about a punishment for his boy for leaving him alone in his misery like that.

"Randy… that boy has weakened you." Chris was leaning back in his leather-chair, glass of Scotch in hand while his feet rested on the big wooden desk. He had gotten straight to the point rather than starting with the usual meaningless small talk. Randy was glad of that small blessing. His patience was really wearing thin with his partner.

"He hasn't. I'm still the same man I've always been." Randy was sitting opposite him, legs stretched out underneath the table, swinging his own glass with the burning liquid around in his hand, the clinging of the ice-cub inside surprisingly calmed his nerves.

With an arched brow, the blond leaned forward again, a slight snarl playing on his lips as he regarded his partner with interest. "Oh yeah? If it had not been for him, Randy, you would've killed Jake yesterday, right on the spot. I know this, you know this…, and I am pretty sure everyone else working for us also knows it. He's your weak spot, Randy… and not only do THEY…" He was clearly referring to Jake and Mike as well as some of their enemies. "… know how to use him against you, but I bet he also knows how to use YOU."

Unlike Randy, Chris had seen the gun Mike had pointed at the young brunette's temple and he knew –by the look in Mike's eyes, so cold and blank, almost emotionless - that they had been lucky the fight had ended without any dead bodies to get rid off.

Randy's snort brought him out of his thoughts again, watching the younger mans face contort in pain as he held his ribs – obviously damaged enough to hurt him just by snorting.

"That's ridiculous, Chris, and you know that. I would not have killed Jake. I know how important he is for us. I'm not stupid… I only wanted to show him his role, to make clear to him who is the fucking boss around here. He needs to learn his place and so does Mike."

It was a lie. In fact, Chris had been right with everything he had said. Randy had wanted, still wanted, noting more than to snap Jake's neck, to bash his head against the concrete until his brain's spilled out and that cocky smirk was wiped of Mike's face for once and for all. If Cody wouldn't have spoken up, had begged him to stop, that was exactly what he would've done. Maybe Cody was really weakening him, but that was not something he wanted to discuss with Chris, someone who had no idea about who he was or how he felt. In fact he had no intention to discuss that with anyone at all.

"Really now?" The blond got out of his chair, re-filling his glass of Scotch and drowning it down in one go before flashing his partner a devilish smirk. Randy, however, knew how Chris played his games and was not the least intimidated by his pathetic attempts of intimidation.

"Yes, really."

"You know as well as I do, Randal, that we can't have fights like these. Especially not at the moment. Regal's group of sluggards is getting stronger each day while we are slowly falling apart… and I'd like to blame this mostly on you and your damn temper. If it had not been for Mike and Cody, either you or Jake would've already be dead by now. We can't have that. We need the TWO of you in one piece if we want to stay number one in this business."

Again, Chris was right. Not that Randy would ever admit that out loud. Chris' ego was inflated enough as it was. Slowly, so not to hurt himself any further, he leaned forward in his chair, placing his empty glass on the desk, his stormy icy-grays never leaving Chris' stare. "So, what do you suggest? That we kiss and make up?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Chris could not help but let out a short laugh at that mental image. The thought of Jake and Randy together turned him on more than a little bit, he knew that they would sooner slit the other's throat, or commit suicide for that matter.

"No… I know you and Jake will never become friends, same goes for you and Mike…" He stopped mid-sentence here, watching Randy's lips curl up into a sadistic smirk, one that told him how crazy the man really was, before continuing. "Neither will Cody ever be friends with Jake… but we all need to learn how to work together again without killing anyone."

"And how do you suggest we do this?" It was a simple question, one that Randy was more than intrigued to hear the answer to. Placing his elbows on his knees, his cold, deep grays bore into the older mans blues, seeing that sick grin returning to his partners lips. "

You do nothing but to stay back. I'll handle Jake and Mike. In the meantime, just make sure that you heal again… and that your precious little boy doesn't distract you any further."

Even though he was curious about what Chris had on his mind this time –knowing his partner it was sick and twisted and more than likely completed insane- Randy just nodded. He had other problems on his mind than Chris' craziness. He needed to heal, quickly, because in this form he was in no state to face Jake again. Because he would, soon, and that time he would finish the job.

In addition, he needed to think about his relationship with Cody again. Chris had been right, the boy distracted him and not always in a good way. Even worse, it was true that the boy had too much power over him. Maybe they should have a long, clearing talk about this when the boy came "home" tonight.

* * *

Five minutes after Randy had left, Chris sat at his office-desk again, tapping his fingers impatiently onto the unforgiving wood. He had his evening planned out already, perfectly, and so far, it went just fine. He could only hope now that this next task on his to-do list went just as well.

Listening to any sounds that could give away the arrival of Jake, he poured himself another Scotch, silently going over his plan once again. He was hoping that – just as Randy - Jake would see what was good for business, for THEIR business, and would play along. He knew that the tall blond was stubborn –another thing the assassin had in common with his partner - but he also knew that the young man had a lot of common sense in him. He knew what was good for him and what was good for the little brunette he was so attached to.

Mike. The reason why Chris was unable to think straight as of late; the reason why he barely slept; the reason why he had a hard time to concentrate on the business. Hopefully, after tonight, that would change though.

A loud knock to his office-door made his head jerk up, the devilish smirk instantly back in place as he let himself fall back down into his chair, calling the younger man inside with a short "Come in!". His eyes stayed fixed on that sexy specimen during the whole time, watching each and every step of the tall blond – Jake closing the door just a little bit too loud, the way he tried to look confident when he made his way through the room. Jake didn't fool him one moment, the young man was uncomfortable as hell with being here.

The limping and the shallow breath's Jake took did not go unnoticed by Chris. The young man had probably just as hard a time as Randy did, the injuries on his face clearly visible, his difficulty in moving disrupting his normal intimidating presence. Motioning to the empty chair in front of his desk, Chris sent his employee a quick nod and an innocent smile, the gleam of lust in his eyes, however, betrayed his true intentions.

"Take a seat." It was not an order, more like a request.

Jake's brows furrowed even more as he tried to figure out why he was here. However, the stabbing pain in his shoulder and the searing ache in his ribs made him take the offer and without taking his eyes off the sloppy bastard he let himself sink into the huge, comfortable chair.

Body language almost screaming "defense", Jake's eyes missed the usual sparkle in them, completely blank as he stared at his boss. He hated dealing with Chris, hated leaving Mike alone at the moment, but the biggest problem was the changed behavior of his boss. He could deal with Chris hating him, trying to get him away from Mike at every opportunity possible, he couldn't, however, deal with Chris wanting him.

He could see by the flicker of lust in Chris' eyes that the older man had a plan, and by his unusual friendly and kind behavior, he also knew that he was a part of this plan somehow. There was no way out, so the best way was to listen, nod and get the hell out of here as soon as possible.

"You wanted to talk to me, boss?" Even his voice sounded guarded, the last word coming out as a sarcastic hiss as he let his eyes linger on his foe. He shuddered in disgust as the smirk on Chris' lips grew and his tongue sneaked out to wet his bottom-lip. The older man leaned forward in his chair, propping himself up on his elbows, chin resting on his hands.

"Yeah… I won't even beat around the bush today, Jakey-boy, since I am neither in the mood to play nor do I have the time. Your behavior yesterday was unacceptable. The injuries you have not only caused yourself but also Randy, your boss, my partner, were not only unnecessary but also unforgivable. We can't have something like this in our little organization. Not now, nor ever."

Chris could see Jake's body instantly tense at the mention of Randy's name, eyes flashing with pure hatred and anger, his nails digging into the soft cushions of the chair he was occupying. He did not know Jake well enough to know what was going on in his mind, but he would bet it was something along the lines of "I should've killed that son of a bitch".

"Yeah? So what… You want to fire me now?" Suddenly, Jake's whole body language had changed. His anger was back, injuries and pains obviously forgotten, muscles tense, ready to strike, "offense" written all over his face as he glared at the older male… who only could chuckle.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Jakey… You really think I'm stupid enough to fire you? You're too precious to just let go, too valuable and too fucking pleasant to look at, that is. No I'm not done yet with you."

Leaning back in his chair again, smirk growing wider as he placed his hands behind his head, Chris continued, "But I'm gonna be straight to you, kid. I'm perfectly aware of Mike's little superiority complex, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that he walks around here like he's running the place. But let I make myself clear, the only reason he can do that is because I am allowing him to. But you and Mike both, you answer to me. I rule this business, I decide what is happening and what is certainly not happening anymore is you picking fights with your boss."

"Randy started it." Jake snapped his mouth shut the moment those childish words left his mouth.

"I don't fucking care who started what. I can understand why you are… well… why you dislike Orton that much, believe me. I know what he did to Mike..." Another smirk on his lips while Jake's pulled back into a snarl, "… between us, I also know that Orton is a derange psycho… and I also realize that you might think that taking him out is a nice career move, either for you or for that gorgeous brunette of yours… Well think again, Jakey… this is not the time for shit like that. I address your common sense here, Jake. For the sake of our team, of our company, I'm begging you to just stay away from him. I'm not asking you to be friendly with him or to work with him. Wade or Ted can do that. I am just asking you to keep the fights for your job instead."

Jake's wheels were visibly spinning, the younger man thinking about Chris' words. He was looking for the loophole, for the hidden trap behind the otherwise so sensible words. Not that he gave a damn about the business, not that he had even an ounce of respect for the older man, all he cared about was his own safety… and that of Mike. Therefore, as long as Mike did not give him a clear order to do otherwise, he would just play along. "I understand."

Chris was clearly surprised, not by Jake's answer, but how easy it had went. He had expected the younger man to fight a little longer, to show some resistance, let his stubbornness shine through, not to just agree without so much of a doubt. "Good… To make sure we're on the same page here… You stay away from Randy… AND Cody… no fights, no threats, nothing!"

A quick nod by the tall blond made his suspicions grow even more. As much as Chris wanted to believe the younger male, he could not shove the feeling away that –the first chance he would get - Jake would break the deal again and go after his partner, next time possibly even killing him. "Also… we both know that you're a lot smarter than Randy. So, in case he makes a wrong move by threatening you or Mike, or he is trying to start a fight again… I expect you to be smart enough to step back and to not react."

Jake tensed again and despite his inner voice screaming at him to simply kill that smug bastard, and after that to just slaughter Randy, he hesitantly nodded his head. He had a hard time ignoring his instincts, he was a predator not a strategist. But Mike had ordered him to play along with anything Chris would throw at him, to play innocent, to manipulate their boss to think they were still loyal subjects. Mike would be proud of him staying calm and hopefully reward him like only his lover could.

"Alright… I'll try my best, boss. Was that all?"

He wanted to get out of the office as quick as possible again, the pure presence of Chris made him nervous, like snakes crawling under his skin. In a way Chris was even worse than Randy. At least Randy was predictable in his insanity, in his violence. Chris was manipulative, sneaky; he might be less violent, but surely no less dangerous. Jake had the bad suspicion that he wouldn't get away from the blond this easy.

Chris' eyes sparkled at him, lips curling up in this all too familiar, sickening smirk as he leaned forward in his chair again, taking another long gulp of his Scotch before shaking his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jakey… but I still need you tonight. I'm going out… and you're coming with me."

* * *

Nick would not admit it to any of his friends, but he had absolutely no problem with playing the playboy for the much older Vicky. He wouldn't go so far to say that he enjoyed it. Okay, honestly he did. He reveled in the attention, the gifts and most of all he liked the fact that it was so insanely easy. All he needed to do was look hot and play dumb, something in which the bleached-blond junkie was master.

If Vicky suspected that he was also spying for Mike, she never said anything about it, but sometimes she steered the subject of one of her many coffee afternoons - that somehow never had any coffee, only strong whiskey - in the right direction. Like today, when she had spend a delightful afternoon filled with gossip about Chris and some cop named Adam. Mike would be happy.

They were on their way back to Vicky's house, walking through the neglected neigborhoud. Nick had his arm slung around Vicky - just as she liked - to show him off to her neighbors. She was talking softly in her phone, too soft for Nick to follow the conversation, even when he concentrated he could only catch phrases '… happy… more than you would expect… take with you…' and soon he stopped trying.

Instead he focussed on his surroundings, being careful not to stare. Being Vicky's boytoy protected him to a certain degree, but there were too many people here you didn't want to piss off. When he saw a group of youths buying drugs from a familiar guy he halted, glaring daggers in the guy's back. This was his neighborhood and he didn't take well to competition. Not even from a friend.

With a sign to Vicky he left her to her phone call and crossed the street, courage pumped in justified annoyance.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Matthew? This is MY district. You'd better piss off to your side of town."

Matthew turned around, the smug smile on his face the result of happiness at running into Nick.

"Hey Nicky, long time no see." His eyes roamed over Nick's fit body, those long legs clad in tight jeans, the tight shirt that did nothing to conceal the perfect abs beneath it.

Nick noticed his staring and chuckled inwardly. This would be easy. "I'm serious Mattie. Don't force me to tell my boss."

The threatening voice with the thick Russian accent too close behind him made him cringe, "You tell your boss. You tell Irvine and Orton that we'll be taking back our territory." A heavy hand was put into his neck and clenched tight. "You tell them that we'll take everything from them that's worth anything." Nick gulped and concentrated on trying not to piss his pants. He would die today. No way he would survive a confrontation with the Russian twice.

"Vladimir. How nice to see you again." Vicky said in a cheery voice. Nick felt Koslov tense before he let him go. He turned around, rubbing his neck and looked confused from Vicky to Vladimir.

"You know, I spoke to your mother yesterday and she mentioned that she hasn't seen you for ages. She seems to think you're in Russia." Vicky continued. "Shall I call her that you're back?"

Nick almost chuckled when Vladimir paled and forcefully shaking his head, "No need for that, miss Vicky. I'll call her myself, miss Vicky. I'll go by soon."

"I haven't met your friend yet Nick." She held out her hand to Matthew. He hesitantly shook it, like he was afraid it would fall off. "It's so nice to meet some friends of my baby. Sometimes I'm afraid he's ashamed of me."

"I could never be ashamed of you, Vicky." Nick wrapped his arms around her waist again and kissed her neck. She had just saved his ass so she deserved a bit of a show. Anyway, it might keep Matthew from trying anything funny.

"You're… with her…?" Matthew stammered, jealousy mixing with disbelieve.

"Yeah… got a problem with that?" Nick raised his eyebrow. "I like my women experienced."

"And ugly…" Koslov mumbled.

"What did you say, dear? You really need to stop being so shy. Of course, you've always been shy. It must have something to do with your preference for your sisters dresses as a kid. I still have some pictures of it. Do you want to see them, Nicky?"

Nick realized that the murderous look on Koslov's face meant that laughing wasn't an option. That didn't mean he didn't want to see those pictures. It was so much harder to be afraid of someone if you've seen them dressed up as a girl. He put his hand on Vicky's back and started to lead her away. In an afterthought - although not a very smart one - he added, "Stay the fuck away from here. This is MY district and these are MY clients. I'm not afraid of you or your empty threats."

Vicky softly giggled as she hooked her arm in his and pulled him away. When they were out of hearing distance she asked, "You're pissing your pants right?"

"Why did I say that? Why? Oh, fuck, I'm dead, I'm so dead…" He needed a joint and he needed one now. As soon as was politely possible he excused himself from Vicky's house and hurried home, where he wasn't satisfied until he was so far out he didn't even remember why he needed the drugs in the fist place.

* * *

Jake followed Chris through the overcrowded club. He pulled a face at the stink of sweaty bodies and alcohol. He had no idea why Chris suddenly needed him as a bodyguard on one of his many nights out. As far as he knew Chris was perfectly capable of getting wasted by himself. He hoped that Chris wouldn't try anything with him again, because after the days he had, he didn't know whether he could resist the temptation to knock him out. So far Chris was on his best behavior. He went into the VIP-area and sat down in one of the boots that looked out over the heaving dance floor. He motioned Jake to sit down too and ordered drinks for both of them.

The younger blond hesitated a moment. After all, he still had not figured out what Chris wanted and it scared him a little, knowing the sick and twisted mind of their perverted boss. Still, he could not find a reason not to take the offer. Chris watched him with a slight smirk on his lips, his mind already having made up a plan, the perfect plan to get back at Mike and also to have a little fun. Patting the spot next to himself once again, he waited for Jake to finally make up his mind.

The drinks arrived quickly after, Chris instantly reaching out for his to take a long gulp of the cold beer, something he needed desperately after all the talking he had done that day. He was fully aware of Jake's daring greens staring at him while his gaze flicked across the room, checking out the people, trying to see if the club was clean. After those past days the last thing he needed was more stress.

Luckily, he did not see anyone who could ruin the evening. Meaning that as long as Jake was willing to play the good little boy he knew he could be, the night would surely work out in his favor. Jake however, true to his profession, also scanned the room with his own eyes and to his surprise, he found one guy at the far corner of the VIP-lounge he knew Chris would not like to see. Maybe, the night would not be as bad as he thought it would. Letting his eyes linger on the long-haired blond for a little while longer, a smirk grew on his handsome features as he grabbed for his beer, taking a long, satisfying sip. If it had not been for Chris' hand suddenly squeezing his thigh, he might have even enjoyed the moment.

Gulping down the rage that was quickly rising inside of him, he firmly placed his hand on top of Chris', preying it free from his thigh with an almost predatory gleam in his eyes as he stared at the sheepishly grinning, older male. He knew Mike would be pretty pissed if he just killed Chris right then and there, so he tried to keep his cool, staying as non-galantly as possible. "

"So, boss. Why am I here? I mean, you don't exactly need me to get drunk, right?"

Chris only chuckled, worries already shoved aside while he took another sip of his drink. "I don't pay you to think, Jakey. I pay you to be where I want you, when I want you. And tonight I want you here with me."

Jake had to bite back a growl. Not killing Chris was getting harder and harder. He wished Mike would hurry up with whatever he still needed to do and switch sides soon. He leaned back and crossed his arms. "If you can't get any company without paying for it, you can order a whore."

"What? You want me to call Mike?"

The rage in Jake's eyes brought an amused grin on Chris' face. "Come one Jakey... I'm just teasing. Does it hurt so much to relax and drink your beer? It's just, times are hard and I like feeling save when I'm having fun."

Jake sighed and tried to relax. He had no choice after all.

"And it's fun to tease you, Jakey. You look so hot when you're angry."

If it had not been for the good beer, he surely would have thrown up at that comment, forcing his eyes away from the old, overweighted bastard sitting next to him. He could not risk to loose his cool, not here and not now. "Too bad you'll never get a piece of me." His lips quirked up in a teasing smirk as he let his free hand trail down his torso. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Chris' eyes widening and that old, pervy ass licking his lips hungrily at the show he was putting on.

"Hmm… you're still trying to convince yourself of that, right? Have you forgotten that it actually turned you on to see what I did to that hunky boyfriend of you? Have you forgotten that all it takes for me to have you is Mike ordering you to?"

Jake trembled with the all-consuming that rose up inside him. He had no idea how to react, no idea how to deal with this insanity.

Before he could react, Chris held up his hand. "Just joking Jake… just joking. You bite too easily and it's too amusing not to do it."

Jake knew how to handle pure idiocy, he knew how to react to pure evilness, to a simple bastard, but he had absolutely no clue how to handle all of this together. In his eyes, Chris was just that: an idiotic, evil bastard... with added insanity. It was nothing he was used to handle. He decided it would just be best for him to ignore him for tonight, taking another gulp of his beer while Chris chuckled lowly to himself. Leaning back in his booth, he was incredibly satisfied with how the night went so far. He only needed one more thing to do... and the chance for that would come soon.

Actually, it came about 30 minutes later. He had held back until then, not flirting, not dancing, drinking as little as possible, not wanting to risk missing his chance. When Jake excused himself to use the bathroom, it was finally time for his plan to come into place. Pulling a small package with pills out of his dress-suit, lips turned up in his trademark smirk, he scanned the room with his eyes once again, his other hand reaching for Jake's half-empty bottle of beer.

At that moment a large hand clamped down on his shoulder, causing Chris to yelp out in fright. Waving wildly with his arms, he knocked the bottle on the floor. When he looked around to yell at whoever had ruined his shot with Jake like this he felt like he couldn't breath. Wide-eyed and pale from shock he watched his oldest enemy slide into the booth with him.

"So, Irvine… it's been a while. I would say it's good to see you again, but I hate lying."

"Copeland," Chris grunted out, desperately trying to find his cool again, trying to hide the package with drugs before Adam saw it.

"Hmm… lost the ability to speak, along with your balls and I guess, your figure? You're getting old Chris…"

Preying his shoulder away from the tall blond, in the same time quickly stuffing the package of pills into his pockets, Chris' lips turned into a full blown frown as he scanned his old friend, the man who had so sheepishly betrayed him and gotten him behind bars. The man had not changed one bit. He still looked like a damn athlete and it honestly wormed him that unlike him, Adam's good shape had never gone.

"What do you fucking want? Didn't you ruin my life enough already?"

The longhaired blond just laughed as his eyes traveled along the VIP-lounge, arms casually draped over the back of the booth.

"I just wanted to say hello to an old friend... See how you're doing. We haven't seen each other in ages after all. The last time was... hmm..." He pretended to think. "When was the last time, Chrissie-boy? Oh yeah... when the cops put those cute little handcuffs on you."

"The cops, Adam? You did that! You fucking betrayed me! After all we went through together, after trusting you with everything, you went behind my back and became a fucking cop." The rage, the humiliation, the fear, he had felt when he got carried off to jail with Adam laughing in the background still came back as it was yesterday.

"Aw… Chrissy… you're still angry about that? I should've thought that a guy with your tastes, with your pretty looks, would've enjoyed the attention you got in jail."

"You fucking bastard! I'm gonna…"

Adam chuckled and interrupted him. "You might not want to finish that sentence, darling. I wouldn't want to arrest you for threatening a cop. No… I want you in for life this time. So Chris… it was nice to see you again. I'll be watching you."

He had seen the big, bulky blond coming back from the restrooms out of the corner of his eyes, knowing better than to mess with Chris while he had his bodyguard with him. Quickly sliding out of the booth, he send his former friend a short wink accompanied by a wide smirk before retreating through the crowd again. Jake had seen him from far away, had actually watched them together for quite some time, before finally deciding to go back over, mentally laughing his ass off at the outraged look on Chris' face.

It was a sight that would make up for this whole fucked up evening. Chris' face was flushed with anger. How dare Adam to just show up like that? To have the guts and talk to him? To laugh into his face about the most worst thing that had ever happened to him?

As soon as Jake was in ear-shot, Chris got out of the booth, downing the last of his beer and slamming the bottle back down on the table along with a twenty dollar bill. He bit back a growl wanting to emit from deep within his throat as he glared at the tall blond standing mere inches away from him. "We're leaving!"

Holding back the smug grin he so wanted to send his boss, Jake just shrugged his shoulders, thanking the mysterious cop for whatever he had said or done. At least it had kept him from spending time with Chris.

* * *

**review! Please?**


	15. fateful runins

**A/N: We're back! Really, really back after an insanely long time. Life is busy and our work schedules rarely match. We're sorry about that and we'll try to better our lives.**

**We sincerely apologize for the long waiting-time, but we hope this chapter will make up for it somehow. The next one is also already in the making, though it might take two weeks until it's finished.**

**Marieke: Or a little longer. My muses are totally useless lately...**

**Bianca: While mine are keeping me busy... sadly with other stories.**

**Marieke: well… I hope you will enjoy this, I truly loved writing this. I'm kinda evil inside. Please, please leave a review! It keeps us motivated.**

**WARNING: Lots of bad language, Suicide, Atheism and pure Evilness. In case you haven't noticed, this is not a happy fairytale.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my dark side and the dirty images in my head (right now consisting of Edge and Mike and handcuffs and that has absolutely nothing to do with this story but God it's hot and bloody distracting, so I need to finish that one-shot before I explode). **

**Miz… my champ… even though I hope you'll never read this, this one is for you!**

* * *

**Chapter 15 Fateful run-ins: **

Jake was pacing through the shady cellar. He resembled a caged tiger. Muscles flexed and tensed, ruthlessness mixed in his eyes with passion to something that could only be described as bloodlust. It was a few days after the fight with Randy and Jake was almost as good as new. He had always healed fast and he moved subtle and without pain again. Not that he would need this today. Today would not be a physical challenge; in fact, this would not be a challenge at all. Today would be about loosening some tension, about having some fun, about finally being in control again.

While Jake was restless, almost bouncing with energy, Mike was completely calm, almost lazy. He looked virtually boneless as he relaxed in the big armchair that stood in the middle of the room. Serene, that was the feeling. He had the feeling that from this day onward, the world would be at his feet again.

Meanwhile, a few miles away, Wade was doing all he could to keep his expression friendly. The nervous chatter of the man next to him irritated him. He understood why Mike disliked this guy. Even in the short time, he had spent with him he had had to resist strangling him on multiple occasions. Still, he was almost dying from curiosity what had happened between them to ignite this kind of revenge.

Wade had stopped listening to John a while ago, the longhaired sleaze-ball did not seem to need much encouragement anyway, but the silence that filled the car now must have meant he missed some sort of question.

"We're here," Wade broke the silence by stating the obvious as he stopped the car.

"Really? I mean… this doesn't look like a place where Matt would hang out." John suspiciously eyed his surroundings.

Wade admitted that the choice of scenery was a bit off. Mike had found a deserted warehouse to use not far from the one where they had delivered Matt to.

"I never said Matt was here. The guy who knows where he is lives here. He's a bit strange and doesn't like people all that much."

"Oh… I see."

Wade was surprised how quickly John bought the poorly improvised explanation. John jumped out of the car the moment it stopped and walked towards the door without so much as a look on his surroundings.

Weird, the guy was from around here right? He should know what kind of neighborhood this is? Well, it made his job a lot easier, sadly enough that was. This had been way too easy so far. He had actually hoped for a lot more action, the bloodlust in him rising with each passing minute. Wade followed John inside the building, pointed him down the stairs, staying behind him all the time to block his escape. If needed he would bring him in at gunpoint.

Jake cocked his head when he heard the stumbling of people coming from the stairs. It sounded like two men, which meant all should have gone as planned. He positioned himself behind Mike's chair, who had not moved a muscle yet.

John knocked on the door and hesitantly opened it when he heard a soft "Come in". It took him a moment to get used to the dark, but when he could make out his surroundings a pitiful wail left his throat. He looked back for an escape, but the big Englishman behind him pushed him into the room and blocked door with his massive body.

"Anything else I can do for you, boss?"

"B… Boss?" John's eyes went from Mike, to Jake, to Wade. The friendly look on Wade's face was now replaced with a rather nasty smirk, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "What the hell is going on here? Where's Matt?"

He could as well have talked to the wall. All three men ignored him.

"Yes, there is actually. Chris just called that Randy needs you. He was supposed to take Ted, but…. Well, never mind, I have no idea why he changed his mind and I could not care less. It should be a meeting with his marine buddies, about the weapons. Find out who his contact is and try to get some sort of contact information."

"Why didn't Chris call me himself?" Wade wouldn't mind seeing some more of the blond.

Mike sighed. "I have no fucking clue. Maybe he feels important when he can delegate things, maybe he likes to bother me, maybe that idea didn't even enter that thick head of his. You never know with that moron."

"Mike?" Jake said, "Is it smart to talk about this with _him_ present?" He nodded his head towards their captive who was still staring at them with an open mouth and wide eyes.

Mike shrugged, "It's not like he's gonna be in the position to tell anyone about it." For just a second he focused all his attention on his nemesis, who shuddered when he looked into the cold eyes, and then he turned towards Wade again. "I would've let you stay for the fun, but Randy hates waiting."

"Sure," Wade shoved John forward, still careful to prevent him from running. He smiled at his friend and his boss and turned to leave the room.

"Wade?" The tall ravenette stopped again to turn into the direction of his direct boss. "Thanks, I owe you for this." Mike send Wade a sincere smile that turned nasty when his eyes met John's again as soon as the Englishman was gone. "So John, I'm so glad you could join me here tonight. I'm sorry for the filth down here, but I always say it's about the company, not about the surroundings."

"Whoever said that must've never met you." John could not resist the temptation of a nasty remark. While they were talking, Jake had moved from his position next to his lover towards the longhaired nemesis, body not only blocking his only escape but also holding him in place with a tight grip on his biceps.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…," Mike shook his head, "That's not nice, John, not nice at all. And to think that I wanted to help you out. That I actually wanted to end your suffering about that cute little thing of yours."

"You know where Matt is? You piece of shit! I should've known that you had something to do with this." He struggled against Jake's hold, eyes shooting daggers.

"Of course I have something to do with that. What was your first clue?" He pretended to think about that, "Wait I bet it was right now, when I told you. You never were the brightest of the bunch, weren't you Johnny?"

"What happened to Matt? Did you kill him, you fucking bastard?" John asked through clenched teeth. The pain in his shoulders as Jake turned his arms on his back was almost intolerable.

"Watch," Mike simply stated, pointing a remote to the television and a flickering image lit up the screen. The images were innocent at first and showed a dimly lit bedroom, then a door opened and two huge men dragged in the limp body of a young man. There were marks and bruises all over his naked body. The young man was chained to the bed, arms and legs spread out wide giving him no room to move. This was worse enough, but it did not stop there. It was what happened when the huge bald maniac entered the room that was enough to leave grown men with nightmares for the rest of their lives.

Normal men that was. Mike and Jake watched the movie with almost indifferent expressions. There even was amusement in their eyes when they saw the reaction on the face of the man this entire thing was meant for.

John stared wide-eyed at the movie, tears streaming from his eyes. He went limp in Jake's arms as soon as the screen flickered to black again. Seeing his boy humiliated, abused and shattered like that to a point that John didn't now if Matt was dead or alive, had broken the last bit of his spirit, and without so much of asking for permission, Jake let the numb body fall from his grip and onto his knees.

"You bastard… how could you do that… how? Matt was innocent… he never did anything wrong… Never!" John collapsed in sobs, clenching his stomach as if it hurt him.

Mike crouched down and grabbed John's chin between iron fingers, forcing him to meet his eyes. The pain in his eyes was… satisfying. "You got it wrong again, John… I didn't do this to him. You did."

"What? You fucking psycho! You did this, you!"

"No, no, no…, you're even dumber than I always thought you were." Mike continued in an amused voice.

"Who could've thought that was possible?" Jake had a huge grin on his face. He leant against the wall, eyes glued to Mike. Seeing Mike like this, this strong, this powerful, this evil, that really did it for him.

Mike glanced over to his lover to throw him a dazzling smile then turned all his attention back to the man on the ground. "How long have we known each other, John?" He pretended to think. "Almost 20 years it's been, Johnny; almost 20 years of you annoying me, bothering me and getting in my way. How many times have I warned you to stay out of my side of town? How many times have I kicked your fucking ass to make you understand? And still, you show up in MY district, in MY pub and you try to lay hands on MY Jake — again, I might add. So yes, Johnny, little mister-look-how-perfect-and-rich-I-am, you did this…. If you would've just stayed out of my way, stayed away from what is mine, nothing would've happened to that little bug of yours."

He stood up and sat down in his chair to see how his words would sink in. Almost absentmindedly, he pulled out his gun, stroking it with a finger. "I wonder how you can still live with yourself Johnny…"

"It's not my fault… you did this… not me… not my fault…" John sobbed.

"Ow… but it is, John." Jake circled around John. "You knew Mike, right? You knew how dangerous he is, don't you? You knew the risk of messing with him and still you didn't stay away. Still you brought that little bug of yours within his reach. It is all your fault, Johnny. If you like to play with fire, you shouldn't be surprised when your house burns down." He pulled out his gun and placed it at the back of John's skull, then looked at Mike for permission.

Mike was about to nod when John looked up again, muddy-brown eyes bloodshot and dull with pain. "Kill me, Mike. Please kill me… I… I wanna die."

Jake sighed in annoyance now John took the fun out completely. Mike, however, had a huge grin on his face at those words. His mortal enemy had just begged him to finish him off. "So you wanna die, Johnny? Well… That's a surprise. For once we want the same thing."

He stood up again and walked back over, towering over John. He wrapped his hand into the long hair and pulled his head back. Pressing the gun against John's lips, he released a low chuckle as John obediently opened his mouth to allow the gun to be shoved between his lips. John closed his eyes as he waited for the end, but nothing happened. Instead, Mike shared a long look with his lover and he grabbed one of John's hands and wrapped it around the gun, putting his finger on the trigger.

"I've changed my mind, Johnny-boy. I have absolutely no intention on giving you what you want. If you wanna die, do it yourself. I'm done with your pathetic ass." He stood up, pulling Jake away from the cowering idiot on the floor.

Jake kept his gun pointed at John, preparing to fire it the moment John make a suspicious move. But he hadn't need to worry. Almost immediately the sound of gunshot sounded through the cellar and John slumped down slowly, the back of his head blown away.

Mike was silent for a while, staring at the lifeless body of his nemesis. It was the end of a chapter and it felt kind of weird to think that the guy would never cross his path again. He rolled his shoulders and turned to his lover, who was also staring at the bleeding mess, but with excitement and even lust in his eyes. That sight was enough to shake the odd feeling, grinning at the sick mind of his younger lover.

"I love guns… Guns are so… final." Jake sighed as he turned towards his lover, a satisfied smile on his face. He curled his hand around Mike's wrist and pulled him close. "Can we go home now?" he murmured before licking a path up Mike's neck. "I think we should… celebrate."

Mike wrapped his hand in Jake's hair and pulled him close for a passionate kiss. "I like the way you're thinking… but we need to take out the trash first. Put him in the car, I'll torch the place."

Jake pouted. "Can't we just leave him here?"

Mike raised an eyebrow at him. "You know why we can't risk that, Jay. No one will care about this place burning down. But people will care if they find out it's done to cover up a murder. So be a good boy now and I'll reward you when we get home." He trailed his hand over Jake's body until he covered his crotch, softly squeezing. "I'll let you do anything you want, babe."

Jake gulped and nodded like an idiot. Ten minutes later they were in their car, the building already blazing behind them.

* * *

The late afternoon sun was burning his skin, the sunglasses on his nose not really doing anything to cover his eyes from the bright light. The talk he had had with Chris a few days ago, still invaded his mind, not wanted to let go. The things the blond had said about Cody, about their relationship haunted him. And still, he had not been able to bring the topic up to the little minx. Every time he wanted to say something, he got distracted by those shiny, deep baby-blues — or Cody found a way to distract him otherwise. It was as if the boy wanted to avoid any serious conversation as of late, as if he already knew.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he snarled — more to himself than anyone else. He had more important stuff to concentrate on right now. He had a meeting to attend to with the town hall, pretending to be who he was not to be, covering up their little business to the big bosses of Atlanta. However, he did not get far. Head down, lost in concentration, he bumped right into a lithe yet muscular frame. As in instinct he glared down on the man bumping in to him, his lips pulling back into a snarl as he realized it was that fucking priest that Ted was spilling all his — all their — secrets to.

The man didn't seem to be impressed by his vicious stare and even had the audacity to smile at him. "Mr. Orton, I'm sorry for bumping into you. i was kind of lost in thoughts."

"Aren't you fucking priests supposed to have all the answers?" Randy snapped back. He hated interacting with people like this, the people who thought they were better than him. He knew that even Teddy, who he had given everything, secretly looked down on him because of some stupid fairytale about a god that obviously didn't exist.

The priest tensed at the swearword but otherwise didn't bulge. He just continued to stare at him with that annoying smile on his face. "I wish we had mr. Orton. I wish we had. But God likes to leave his servants to struggle on this earth, so he can reward those who make the right choices. Of course he throws more challenges in the path of some than of others. I take it you know Ted DiBiase?"

"A little... he's an old friend of the family," Randy replied without even faltering. It was a good thing he was already in a sucking-up mood or the little priest would've seen how much of this nonsense he was preaching was the truth.

"He is truly a dear follower of us. I must say that I am impressed with his sense for the good and the bad. He's always so... so pliant, following all the orders I give in the name of god. I wonder..." A smirk displayed on the priests lips, one that didn't do anything to soothe Randy's nerves. "I wonder if he's exactly that obedient at work, too?" The inquiring tone behind the last comment made Randy's lips fall, brow instantly shooting up in curiosity. This guy could not know, could he?

_'Of course he knows, you moron. That punk DiBiase probably told him all the shit about your company.'_

"I actually don't know. As I said, he's an old family friend, but since he and his father fell out of touch, so did we. He came asking for a job some years ago, but my father blew him off. My old man didn't wanted to anger the old DiBiase. There's a lot of money involved and my father didn't want to piss off an investor. I haven't seen him since. Why don't you ask him?" Randy grinned, totally glad for the bullshit story he had managed to tell without hesitation.

"Really?" the priest raised an eyebrow at him. "I can remember Ted mentioning you once or twice... you and some boy named Cody?"

If he were not at a loss for words, Randy would have probably cursed like a drunken sailor right then. Eyes wide, mouth wanting desperately to open, he tried to keep his expression as cold, as emotionless as possible... but failed miserably.

_'Told ya, that little shit is spilling our secrets. And he's the closest you'll ever get to having someone as a friend'_

Clenching his jaw, hands balled into fists at his sides, wicked glimmer in his eyes — thankfully still hidden behind shaded sunglasses — Randy finally found his voice again. "Must be another Randy then. I don't know anyone named... What did you say? Cory?"

Father Brooks however, kept the smile in place, wriggling his brows as a sign that he did not believe one word of what Randy was saying. "Cody... and I do believe it was you he was talking about. I can clearly remember him saying your last name."

"That little piece of shit!" the words left his mouth without him wanting to, but fortunately they were only muttered under his breath. Randy quickly composed himself, shrugging like he didn't care. "I hate being the one to tell you this, Brooks, but I heard that Ted is pretty messed up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going around spreading rumors about people he thinks have done him wrong. But you know how it is, you can never trust an addict. They will do anything for their next shot. And Teddy? I'm heard he's pretty far down the gutter." Randy wouldn't mind some of Cody's wonder pills himself now. Not to mention that that stupid meeting hadn't even started. Why, oh why had he let Chris talk him into going? Chris was so much better at sucking up than him. To make things even worse, he not only needed to talk to Cody, but also to Ted. They boy needed to learn when to shut the fuck up. If he went on like this, the whole town would soon be on their heals.

"Well, if you say so, Mister Orton. You are surely right about young Mister DiBiase being messed up... but as I can see it..." The smaller ravenette looked him up and down, the downright disgusted look on the priests face only fueling his anger more, "As I can see it, he is not the only one being far down the gutter."

Oh, how he wanted to wipe that fucking smirk of the Father's face right then, right there. However, the meeting would soon start and he did not have time to deal with that obnoxious little shit now. He'd think about a suiting answer later tonight, maybe even some little payback for the nasty comments. It had been a long time ago since he had had a decent work-out.

"Whatever you say, Brooks!" the name was hissed, shoulders bumping into each others as Randy made his way past the priest with his brows furrowed, snarl on his lips. "If you excuse me? I've important business to attend."

He was already halfway down the street when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and without even flinching, he stopped again, not bothering to look back. A card was shoved into his face, Brook's voice ringing in his ears, far too close for his own likings. "Maybe you shall visit us next Sunday. I am sure I'll find a way to HEAL you, too."

In an instant, Randy hurled around, sunglasses flying off his nose with the speed of the movement, ice-cold eyes boring into the suddenly not so composed priest as he grabbed him by his collar. "Listen, you little self-righteous, better-knowing, higher-than-life piece of garbage. You stay out of my fucking way from now on or I swear to you that it is NOT me who will need a healing anytime soon!"

With that, he loosened the grip on the older, yet smaller man again, lips twitching and eyes darkening as he leant down to grab his sunglasses from the hot concrete, gaze never leaving the slightly frightened man. Though he had lost his cool in the end, he was proud he had kept it for so long.

"You know, Brooks… You seem to be a smart man, really, but if you do not watch your mouth, I'd be very glad to give you a reality check." He patted the ravenette's cheek, smirk firmly in place, before retreating towards his original destination. He just hoped people at the meeting would not be as obnoxious as little Brooks. Losing his cool there would be no option.

* * *

They were on their way out of town when Jake noticed that the same car had been on their tail for quite a while now. He pointed it out to Mike who did not like this one bit. He had no idea who was following them, but being followed when you have a dead body in your car is never a good thing. Jake took a few turns trying to shake their chaser, but he was unsuccessful. The dark grey sedan was still following them and next to him, Mike groaned annoyed.

"This has been such a great day. Why am I not surprised that someone is out to ruin it? Just pull over Jake."

Jake almost crashed the car. "What? Are you crazy? I can lose him, I just…"

Mike placed his hand on Jake's thigh and squeezed it. "I know you can. But not without it being a chase and I'd hate it if we attract attention from the cops. Especially with our little friend in the trunk… and by the way, I don't feel like running away today. If all else fails, we'll dump two bodies today."

Jake's eyes grew big at this comment and he did not protest anymore. They were already on the outskirts of town and he turned into a small, almost hidden, back road. Two miles further he halted the car and he and Mike watched the front lights of the car that was following them getting closer before it came to a full stop right behind him.

"Fuck!" Jake cursed when he saw the longhaired cop step out the car. "That's that old friend of Chris I told you about. You know, the cop."

To his surprise, Mike only smirked. "The guy that is dead-set on getting him into jail again… Interesting." He opened the car door and stepped out to meet him.

"But… Mike… remember John?" Jake stammered.

"Don't worry, Jake. I got this." Mike answered with his usual confidence. He walked around the car and motioned Jake to get out as well. He hopped onto the hood of his car and looked intrigued at the guy approaching him. He looked nothing like a cop. He was tall, athletically built, a dangerous look on him and that wickedness in his eyes somehow reminded him of Randy. The smirk around the guy's lips resembled his own.

When the man reached them, he took his time to take in both Mike and Jake, before turning his full attention to Mike. "Mizanin, I take?"

"Copeland."

"You're well informed. I see that Chris has finally found some clever employees. No wonder he's doing pretty well."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Mike did not even flinch at Adams offhand remark.

"Oh, but I think you do, Mike… I think you do… and I want to make you a deal." Adam lit up a cigarette.

"I don't do deals with cops."

"Come on… I know you've got half the station bought. Or better said… Chris does. You know, when I still worked for Chris he always took all the credit… but he never understood that this also meant he took all the risks. I take it that he hasn't changed? That he's still as stupid as before?"

Mike did not react, not even by raising an eyebrow, not even by chuckling, even though he would have liked to agree with the tall blond. Adam continued anyway. "I don't care about this town. I don't care about what you do and who you sell to and who you kill. This town… it's hopeless anyway…"

Now Mike chuckled and even Jake could not help the grin forming on his lips any longer.

"That's quite an unusual attitude for a cop," Mike grinned.

Adam smirked back. "Well… I'm quite an unusual cop. Mike, let me be honest with you. I haven't been in this stinking rathole of a town for about 10 years and for good reasons. But I come back here for the funeral of my granny and who do I see walking around like he owns the place? My old buddy Chris!" He gritted his teeth. "He should've still been behind bars; he should've never gotten out. I kinda hoped someone would do him in. But no, I asked around and the asshole has managed to build quite an empire…"

"That's all really interesting, Adam." Mike interrupted him. "But maybe you can excuse me from hearing your life story and let me get on with my own business."

"And what business is that, Mizanin?" Adam snapped back. "You want me to inspect what's in that car of yours? Is it weapons? Drugs? Or maybe even a dead body?"

Mike was careful to keep his expression bored, blank even, and hoped Jake would be able to contain himself, too.

"Look, Mike. I want Chris and you don't need to go down with him."

"Why be so considerate?" Mike asked sarcastically.

"Because you remind me of myself. I've been where you are. I've been who you are, I think."

The cop and the criminal appraised each other and Mike found himself nodding beside himself when he looked into the wicked grey eyes that held shadows not much unlike his own.

"I will get Chris with or without you. But if you help me out, you and anyone you want to go free goes free. And me… I'll go back to Miami and hopefully never have to come near here again."

Mike did not answer. He could not answer without confirming what Adam already knew. Adam seemed to understand that because with one last piercing look he turned around and started to go back to his car.

"I trust you to do the smart thing. I'll give you two weeks before I really start digging. I'll let you know how to contact me with the information."

Mike stayed right where he was until Adam had turned his car and was out of sight again. Jake was watching him nervously, pacing in front of the car. Suddenly Mike started laughing. Bubbles of laughter exploded from his mouth and soon he was laughing so hard he doubled over. Jake could not help but bursting out, too, even though he had no idea what was so funny.

"Mike?" He had his head cocked as he stared to his lover who was wiping the tears of laughter of his face. "Please… explain?"

"Don't you see, Jake? Don't you see? I was just imagining Chris' face when he will realize that I have managed to make his worst nightmare come true. This will be epic. Chris is an asshole, but he doesn't need to die."

Jake pouted, "He doesn't?"

Mike raked his fingers though Jake's hair. "Aw still bloodthirsty, my love? Wasn't today enough for you?" He pulled Jake close for a hungry kiss. "But no, Chris doesn't need to die, life in prison will serve him right. Possibly even a lot, lot better. Just imagine what some of the guys behind bars could… no… WILL do to him, babe."

Jake lips curled up in an evil smirk now and he pushed Mike back on the hood, holding him down with his bodily weight. "I can certainly see it… so very clearly. God, baby, you are one fucking evil genius."

"Come on, Jay, let's dump John and go home," Mike purred. "I want you for real, babe. And I want you all fucking night long."

Jake growled aroused, not even wanting to wait any longer. If it was for him, he would have taken Mike right then and there, on the trunk, right above John's dead, bleeding body. However, he knew what kind of attraction that could cause and the last thing they needed were more cops showing up while he was screwing his man senseless. In the matter of minutes, they were on the road again, looking forward to celebrating a day that could not have gone any better.

* * *

**I'll keep it simple: people PLEASE review. It's easy, it takes only a minute and it makes me insanely happy (and look I said please!)**


	16. Be careful who you trust

**A/N: The story's slowly coming to an end, as much as it hurts us. 3,4 more chapters left and we'll be done. Good thing is that the closer we're coming to the end, the more drama, death and intrigues will happen. We hope you'll enjoy the last chapters enough to bombard us with sweet, sweet reviews. And now, not to keep you waiting any longer, let's get to the story.**

**Warning: a little bit of cursing, a little bit of murder, a little bit of drama**

**Disclaimer: The only thing real here is our obsession with these guys :) **

* * *

**Chapter 16: Be careful who you trust**

He was still furious over the run-in with Father Brooks earlier, even more now after the meeting at the town's hall. He had kept back the whole time, had said nothing at all, except a few 'Yes' and 'No' every now and then when it had come to votes. The meeting had been like a god damn blur to him thanks to Brook's words earlier. He just could not shake them off him.

However, right now Brooks would have to wait… and Ted, too. Randy had other things to attend to… more… pleasant ones. The only down to the pleasantry was that Chris' words would not leave him alone. And for the first time ever since he knew Cody, for the first time since their first time, he pushed the young man away, instantly regretting it as disappointment cursed through his body at the loss of those luscious, fucking smooth lips on his own.

"What the…?" He stared into wide, incredulous eyes, one brow arched, lips forming something resembling a frown. Raking a hand over his face, Randy took several deep breaths to steady his nerves, to comprehend what he wanted to say, how he wanted to address it without pissing his younger lover off. After all, Cody was everything he had left.

"Randy?"

The soft, worried voice brought him back into reality, eyes fixing onto the lean, beautiful body in front of him, a soft smile instantly tucking on his lips. "Nothing… just… We need to talk." Upon those last words, he could see his lover flinching, eyes involuntarily losing their spark, lips falling into a deep, almost scared looking frown.

He could not help but to take a step closer to his boy again, cradling the flushed cheek in his rather large palm and stroking the soft skin with his thumb. "It's nothing bad… Just… some business." He still did not know how to address the subject, blood already boiling by the fact that Cody's whole body tensed at one simple touch of his. Knowing the boy was scared of him only fueled his anger, especially after everything he had done to show him his affection.

Instantly pulling away again, Randy swallowed down the fury rising inside of him, holding his chin up high as he took another calming breath, eyes shut tight.

"Randy? You… You're scaring me, babe." Despite knowing the older man would never do him any harm, Cody could not help but worry, baby-blues big like plates as he stared at his shaking lover with concern. Everything had been fine until a few minutes ago. He had no idea of what was going on. Had he done something wrong? Had he forgotten something? Had something happened to Randy?

Randy's eyes snapped back open, the intensity in them, the hardness of his expression making Cody flinch again as he – out of habit — took one step back from his lover. And all this little movement did was to enrage Randy even further. "Stop running from me, boy!" It was hissed, an order, so much despite himself. He only ever talked like this to his enemies, to his opponents. Never had he talked like this to the younger man before. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then… What is this all about?" The young brunette tried keeping his composure, lips tightly pressed together as he looked at his lover, tears threatening to spill. However, he would not let them. He never showed weakness to anyone, not intentionally.

"You're weakening me." It was a statement, a fact, Randy's voice laced with something akin to hatred, though it sounded almost blank, emotionless.

Ebony lashes fluttering furiously as he blinked in confusion, Cody wrinkled his forehead, trying to process what his lover was talking about. "I… what?" He was truly lost for words. He had no idea where this was coming from, No idea what he was talking about, no idea at all.

"You're weakening me. I've never backed down from a fight, never stopped before my opponent was at least hospital-ripe… and here I stand, ever since you've come into my life, I'm not myself anymore. I would've gotten rid of Jake if it had not been for you. Hell, I would've gotten rid of Jericho even, rose to the top already. But no… you're holding me back… and I've a suspicion that you're doing this intentionally."

Cody's eyes were almost bulging out of his head as he rapidly blinked at his older lover. He could not believe his ears. Here he stood, having done everything possible to help Randy, to back him up, to defend him – if only verbally — to others, and now he was accused of manipulating him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" The words were out before he could stop himself as he incredulously shook his head from left to right.

He was fully aware of Randy's state, the angered expression on his face, the cold, almost blank eyes and the clenched fists telling him that he was probably under influence again, and he should have been scared beyond believe, but at the moment he only felt rage, fury. He was seriously getting fed up with Randy's constant mood-swings, with his behavior not only towards him but also towards others.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just pointing out the obvious." Randy's voice had already changed from the blank, stern tone to an anger-laced seriousness, one Cody only knew from his lover's fights with others. He had never talked to him like that before, unless it had been during sex… and even then, Randy's eyes had always betrayed his words. Not this time though. "You're manipulating me; have been from day one. You hold me back, hold me down."

"Randy, seriously now." He was slowly growing frustrated with his lovers antics, heart starting to beat faster, fists clenching and unclenching as he was taking several deep breaths to stay calm, as calm as possible with what Randy was throwing at him.

"No, Cody… it's true. I've giving you a home, I've given you a job, a life… I've brought you out of that shithole you once lived in. I've taught you… and now you're turning your back on me. You're using me." Randy was surprisingly relaxed as those words escaped him, neither his eyes nor his body-language showing any signs of emotions at all as he stared blankly at the younger man.

It was the last straw needed.

It was not only the least the young brunette had expected, it was also the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. And suddenly the anger replaced the fear completely and he found himself nose-to-nose with the older man, body shaking in rage, tears threatening to spill, lump forming in his throat. Even his voice did not sound like his own anymore.

"You fucking jerk! You've saved me? I'm holding YOU down? Are you… are you even listening to yourself? For ages, I've always been there for you. For ages, I've backed you up. I defend your actions day in and day out to the others. I've fucking lost my best friend because I STOOD UP FOR YOU!" His voice was not only getting louder with each sentence but also higher, almost pitching. "You were a fucking mess without me. YOU'RE LOST WITHOUT ME! You'd probably have been killed a million times if it wasn't FOR ME… and now you load this shitload of crap on me? I AM MANIPULATING YOU?"

"Don't. Talk. To. Me. Like. This!" The words were hissed, the venom in Randy's voice cold as ice as it cursed through his body, vein on his forehead furiously pounding, as he was nose-to-nose with his young lover. However, Cody did not back down, did not budge.

"No, Randy. It's my turn now. You don't have the right to talk smack about me, to degenerate me, to humiliate me and not expect an answer in return. You fucking listen to ME now!" He even had the guts to poke Randy's chest, the older man too stunned to move. No one had ever stood up to him like this. Also a reason why he loved the boy so much… He was the only one coping with his shit, the only one not fearing him.

"I've had it with your crap. Week in and week out you treat me like nothing else than your little toy, your plaything. You behave as if you're the fucking king of the world when we ALL know you'd be nothing without Mike and me! I'm done with this shit. Your drugs, your blood lust, your tempers, your fucking voice. What is it telling you now, huh? To kill me? To fucking snap my neck? You're just sick and… I just can't fucking do this anymore. I'm done playing your babysitter, done taking the shit from the others every time YOU screw up. I'm. Just. Done."

With each word his anger had slowly faded, tears slowly falling, rolling down his heated, burning cheeks, lips trembling and voice becoming shaky. He truly did not have any fight, any energy left in him. Even if he wanted to, he just could not do it any longer. He was drained, exhausted and Randy's words had been the last straw for him. The accusations, the humiliating reminder of his past. He just could not… could not trust him anymore.

Before Randy could react, before the blow could come or any words could be formed, Cody stormed out of Randy's living room, door almost falling out of its angles with the force of the slam. He was not even angry anymore, not at Randy at least, more so at himself for showing his weakness, for crying when he should have showed strength, when he should have showed no emotions at all. Truth was, it was all tearing him apart, for weeks already.

* * *

It was a quiet night, much to their favor. The two of them were moving quietly in the shadows of the empty streets, just as they had been taught to. The body they were carrying was wrapped in a blanket, slung over the shoulder of the much bigger, more muscular man.

It had been easier than they had expected it to be. There had been no screaming, no trying to bail, their victim not having had a clue about what was happening until it had been too late. They had met up with him under the cover of wanting to discuss a new job; nothing special, business as usual. As always they had chosen the back of a quite crowded club, not wanting to cause any suspicions, not wanting to alert Hunter in any way or form.

While Hawkins had pointed out to him that they would be dead as soon as Hunter smelled their ambush, Kozlov had been confident. Though they both were not the brightest, he took pride in his skills as an assassin, and he also knew that their 'boss' would never see it coming.

"_How much would this new job bring us?" Hunter had sat on the desk of their paid apprentice while Kozlov had stood in front of him, casually, relaxed as always. He was a master in hiding his true emotions; face never showing anything but confidence and intimidating hardness._

_Hawkins had been leaning against the wall, pretty much out of Hunter's sight, obviously not paying any attention to the task at hand, to the conversation, head kept low, as he had been picking his nails._

"_One hundred when we kill the dude, another hundred when we manage to make it look like an accident." It was not even a lie, they would be paid nicely soon enough, just the victim was not who Hunter had expected it to be. He had had no clue that Kozlov was talking about him the whole time._

_Hunter nodded, still oblivious to anything bare the actual topic of business. A mistake he would pay for only seconds later. "Go for it."_

They dropped the body into the trashcan they had picked out earlier the day. The area was free from any home-less or thugs that could find him before sunrise. The trash would not be picked up in four days. Any evidence of their job would be useless by then. They had both worn gloves throughout the job, something that Hawkins had come up with. The only thing he had come up with.

The scrawny, longhaired male flashed his cell phone and quickly took a picture, proof for their true boss that the job was done. While he was glad that everything had gone down so smoothly, he could see Kozlov's jaw clenching in disappointment. He had not only expected more of a fight from Hunter –after all a former Marine — but he had also hoped their superior would sense something was off.

_It had been the signal Hawkins had waited for, silently creeping up behind the blonde to press the opium-impregnated rag over his nose. Whilst waiting for the narcotic to kick in, Kozlov had been holding onto the struggling feet. It did not take long. Only a few seconds and he had been out cold. Probably the mix of opium with the alcohol Hunter had downed minutes ago._

_As Hunter lay motionless to their feet, they had been careful not to touch him with anything but their gloves, injecting the needle at a place that would be hard to discover before a silenced shot went straight through his brains. The gun had not been planned, but Kozlov had not been able to resist. When else did you get the chance to blow your obnoxious, dirty, stupid-as-fuck boss' brains out?_

They made sure again, that no one had seen them before making their way back to the car they had parked two blocks away. Even if someone discovered Hunter's body, they both knew no one in town would ask questions. The cops were busy with the illegal dealing, fighting and prostitution in town as it was, probably not bothering if Hunters dead body turned up. It would be one problem less for them to take care of.

However, Regal had requested they were careful and discrete, and what Regal wanted, Regal got. Unlike the longhaired blond, snobby bastard they had just discarded, the Englishman had always treated them with respect and paid them well, had never threatened them to replace them, or worse, to get rid of them when unable to finish a job. Regal was the boss everyone wished to have, rare in that business, classy yet sneaky.

_They had paid the club-owner well before they had left through the backdoor, placing Hunter on the backseat of their company-Lincoln. If someone had stopped them, they would have given the impression of driving their drunken boss back home, but not one police-car had been seen the whole way towards the more precious and secured part of town._

_Only a few houses still had their lights on — probably lawyers or businessman working throughout the night — while they had driven past. Neither of them had said a word during the ride, Curt's eyes flicking back and forth between the backseat and the streets while Kozlov's gaze had been solemnly focused on their destination._

_They had wrapped Hunter into the blanket as a cover again, as if they were only to discard the ripped, old item intead of a rather dead and bloodied man. While Kozlov had given silent directions, Hawkins had kept his eyes open for anyone and anything that could still risk their plan, but everything had been quiet and clear, just as clear as the sky had been._

As soon as they arrived at the car, Kozlov pulled the phone out of his back-pocket and dialed the all too familiar number, seconds later his Russian accent drumming though the interior of the vehicle as the two words were spoken that would bring them back at the top of business. "It's done."

* * *

Cody was furiously pacing the lab, still not believing what had just happened an hour ago at Randy's house. They never fought, they pretty much never argued, and all of a sudden everything seemed to break down around him. Not only had he lost his best and only friend with Mike, but now he had probably also lost the only man who had ever loved him... or used him the right way. Yeah, that was it. Randy had only used him. Not as if the older man was able to have any feelings anyway. At least that was what he tried to tell himself. The fight had not been his fault, it had all been Randy. His arrogance, his unbelievable stubbornness, his craziness; the man was a mad man on the lose.

It surprised him that he had kept up with him for so long, that he had not gone all psycho and yelling on Randy before. God knew, the man drove him crazy often enough. But... then why the hell did he miss him so much? Only an hour after he left. 'Damn I must be crazy.'

He was muttering and cursing under his breath, picking things up and slamming them down again, not quite knowing what to do with himself, how to stop his reeling mind. He stared at his desk, mentally summing up all his pills, thinking of something that would make him feel better. He was already fumbling with the little green pills, his hand halfway to his mouth, when he clenched his fist shut, slamming it on his desk. He was not gonna go the same way as Randy, as Ted. He was not that fucking weak. He could deal with heartbreak without drugs.

Mike quietly opened the door to the lap, tensing up when he heard someone was there. He needed to get some of his things, but he rather not encounter anyone here. He hadn't forgotten that the last time he saw his co-workers he'd had a gun pressed against Cody's head, a stupid move if there ever was one. When he saw it was Cody, face pulled in anger, slamming his fist against his deck he sighed deeply. Maybe he got the chance to make things alright with him. He would really like to move back into his home — however temporally it would be — and well… he did feel bad about that gun. Fucking conscience! He motioned Jake to go upstairs, so he could talk to Cody alone. Jake scowled, shaking his head, obviously worried about his safety, worried that Randy was close. After a glare from Mike, he obeyed.

Cody was so lost in his anger, in his frustrations, that he did not even hear the heavy steel door opening, that he did not register the quiet footsteps of the large blond sneaking past him. This was truly a mess. He had no idea what to think anymore, no idea who to trust or who to lean on. Everyone was gone, everything was falling apart. The only thing he had left were the lab and the kitten... the kitten. Turning around to search for the little ball of fur — for comfort and an ear to listen, as crazy as it sounded — his eyes went wide as he came face-to-face with the man he had least expected. Not here, not after what had happened days ago.

"M... Mike." It came out as a stutter, a mix of fear, anger and disappointment shooting through him. His first instinct was to grab something, anything to defend himself, but seeing the look of warmth, of regret on his former friends face made him drop that plan again.

Mike stood with his hands in his pocket, looking incredible uncomfortable, eyes showing something that Cody had never expected to see from Mike: uncertainly. Jake was good for him. He seemed more human somehow. His next thought was that no one should tell him that, he would snap his walls back up before you could even finish the sentence.

"Cody…" Mike spoke soft, none of his usual sarcasm in his voice. "Are you okay? I mean, you might wanna stop killing that desk."

Cody shook his head, eyes snapping back to his fist that was still slamming against the desk without him even noting it. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"You don't wanna talk to me, you mean…" Mike shook his head, slowly making his way towards the younger man. "I get it. The last time we saw each other…"

"When you put a gun against my head you mean?" Cody snapped back, all his anger now directed towards his former friend.

Mike gulped, taking a step back again as he bit his lips and looked down at his feet. He looked almost... defeated, regret written all over his face. Or Cody was just imagining that. Mike never showed regret, not in front of others, and not when he was alone.

"I... I'm sorry about that, really... I just saw Randy pummeling Jake and... You were my only chance to end that fight."

Cody's brow arched high up in confusion, fists now hanging by his side as he tried to control his breathing. The last thing he needed right now, after the fight with Randy, was another argument. He was not ready for this, he had no energy left for this. "You could've just fucking asked, you know? A gun, Mike... A FUCKING GUN!" Closing his eyes for a moment, he raised his head and took a rather deep breath to calm himself down. Surprisingly it worked, a tiny bit at least. "I've seen that look in your eyes... You would have killed me, Mike. You would've killed me and probably not even shed a tear after it. And I always thought I could trust you."

"I DID ASK YOU! I fucking asked you to stop Randy! You refused. I had no choice." Now Mike was getting angry too. The images from that night still flashed before his eyes. "But I wouldn't have killed you… Oh fuck Cody, stop playing the little angel. You and I both know you're not. I asked Jake to stay away from Randy. I begged him to do that for you, did you even do the same thing for me? NO, YOU DIDN"T! It was Randy that started that fight, and you were the only one who could stop it!"

Cody shook his head, anger and disappointment suddenly gone and replaced with pain, with a sadness he had not felt in years, not since Randy had offered him the rather sweet life he was living now. If it had not been for the older man, he'd still have nothing, no friends, no money, no home. He owed the man, but Mike would never understand that, just as he would never understand why he had fallen for the older man in the first place. Heck, even he himself did not understand.

"Codes?" The silent, almost begging mention of his name brought him back out of his thoughts, head snapping up to reveal glassy, blood-stained eyes and quivering lips, body shaking with each sob the younger man was trying to prevent.

"What happened to us? Since when is a lover more important than a friend? A best friend?" The words were so quietly spoken that they were barely audible as Cody practically choked them out, fists relaxing as he wrapped his arms around his own waist and turned his head to the side. His emotions were finally getting the upper hand, and he did not want Mike to see how broken he really was. How much he missed the his friend… and how much he wished those past weeks had never happened.

Mike sighed and sat down down on the desk next to Cody, reaching out a hand to clasp the trembling shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Codes. It's just, I can't deal with you being with Randy. You know what he did to me… I don't trust him," The last bit was spoken between clenched teeth. "And I guess I stopped trusting you because of that."

Cody tensed when he felt the hand on his shoulder, Mike's words ringing in his ears. They hurt and they were more honest than anything he had ever heard before from the older man. "I… FUCK… did you really think I was gonna tell Randy on you? Did you really think I was gonna betray you, that I would get you killed?"

The look in Mike's eyes was enough to see the truth. It made him almost, almost understand his actions.

"We've broken up, you know." The words were whispered and shaky, Cody's back turned to him making it hard to understand, brows furrowing in concentration while his lids fluttered shut and then open again.

"You did what?"

Suddenly, Cody turned, fully facing his former friend, his mate, the only person in his life he had ever trusted. Not even Randy had gained that privilege. "We fought and... I guess we broke up." Before Mike could say anything, rapidly blinking in confusion and surprise, hand slipping from the younger brunette's shoulder in disbelief, Cody continued while looking down at his feet.

"Before we started dating, I had two conditions for him: one: Apologize to you for what he's done and two: Stay away from you and Jake. He hasn't kept that last promise. Not only that, but he accused me of using him, of manipulating him. How can I be with someone who doesn't trust me... who, in fact, does not trust anyone? And now... you don't trust me either. You know how fucking much that hurts?" With each word his voice became quieter, shakier, his body slowly starting to shake again, in anger, in pain, in frustration. He was wondering what he had done wrong to deserve the hell he was currently going through, to be alone and mistrusted.

Mike was silent for a while before answering, "Where I come from you learn not to trust easily. I learned not to trust at all. All my life I've done everything on my own, never letting anyone in. You were the first one I ever let come close. The first person I even shared anything with. Don't blame me for not trusting. It's the hardest fucking thing I ever had to try and I doubt if I'll ever really get the hang of it… and I'm not so sure I want to. Do you have any idea how scary it is to care?" His voice trembled, his stomach hurt and he had to force himself not to detach himself from his emotions again, not to slam his walls up, not to run away. He was admitting things to Cody now he never even dared to think. All his life he had been convinced he needed no one, that he didn't want to care. But it had been nothing more than fear, nothing more than stomach-turning, ice-cold, crippling fear.

Cody's head snapped back up at the revelation of his friend, eyes watering at the pain he registered in the older mans voice. That was not his Mike, not the man he had once known. This here, it was a much better version of him, a person he had always hoped to find one day. That Mike was opening up to him was coming close to Nirvana. Still, he had no idea what to think, or if to trust his words. That gun to his head just did not want to leave his mind. Hugging his own body tighter, he swallowed down the lump that had been building in his throat while his eyes scanned Mike for any signs of lying, for any hint that the older man was playing games with him.

That was the last thing he needed at the moment, someone else playing with his feelings, stomping onto his emotions. "I... I know how scary it is, but... if you don't trust, you can't love. And..." A light-bulb went on in his head, realization finally hitting him as he momentarily thought of Randy, of the man he had given so much, the man he had shared so much with.

"And?" Mike's voice, however, snapped him back out of it again before he could finish the thought.

Cody only shook his head."Never mind… I lost my trail of thought, I just realized that… well… you won't wanna talk about anyway…"

Mike looked confused, eyebrows shooting up at his friend's rambling. "Talk Codes. That's what friends are for." He grinned. "At least that's what you've been trying to tell me for the last five years."

Cody grinned back, pain for a minute forgotten as he saw the amusement dancing in Mike's intense eyes. "And I always thought you weren't listening."

"Ow, I was. I just chose to ignore you." Mike chuckled."Now spill!"

Cody still hesitated, could he trust Mike with this? And did he want to? But he needed someone to talk to, and no matter how fucked up it was he had no one else. "It's Randy… what you said about never learning to trust…" Tears blocked his throaty again making it impossible to speak.

"Codes… I may have had a fucked-up childhood, but that's nothing compared with Randy." He shook his head. "The things I've heard about his family would make your blood freeze. The guy is psycho for a reason and I doubt that even you can break through his walls."

Cody listened intensely to Mike's explanations, though he already knew about Randy's past, probably a lot more than Mike did. However, it was not his place to tell his friend. Randy had trusted him with this and he was not about to... 'He trusted me'. The though abruptly ended his inner ramblings.

"No... no... I meant..." Taking a deep breath, convincing himself again that Mike would not hate him for it, that he would understand, Cody just blurted it out all in one go. "I trust him, I dunno why, but I do, and that means that I really do love him and I know that he loves me, too." He instantly lowered his head again when finishing his ramblings, flinching a little as he awaited Mike's reaction.

He had no idea what to expect from his friend: anger, disbelief, shock or laughter, but he knew that Mike was the only one he had left. Hell, he did not even know if his conclusions were right. There were too many things on his mind and too many stuff had happened during the past 24 hours that he was probably just imagining all of this. That he probably just misunderstood his own feelings and Randy's emotions. After all, the man had just accused him of manipulation and mindgames about an hour ago. Shit, he only hoped that Mike would somehow understand. Else, he'd have no one left to turn to.

Mike sighed deeply as he wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders, pulling him close for just a second. "I dunno, Codes. There's something about the two of you, you do have some weird influence on him. But as I know and understand Randy — as I know and understand people — this is exactly the thing that scares him, the thing that will make him push you away. I know you love him but…" He raked his hair. "I just wished you would see what I see, go for a decent guy… someone sane. Randy will hurt you Code… he can't help it."

The words hurt, more than Mike probably realized. Not because it showed how low his friend thought about them, about Randy, about their relationship, but because he knew Mike was right. Randy would hurt him one day, intentionally or not. The question was if he was willing to take that risk. He would not admit this to anyone though, especially not to Mike. The man would never understand him, would never approve of the decision he was going to make.

Mike suddenly chuckled, "Look at me acting like an expert on relationships."

"No… it… well… makes sense… but… I still think…" Cody stammered, having no real intention to tell what's on his mind, but also not wanting to break the frail new trust.

His arm tightened around the young man again. Cody would get hurt, get hurt badly… if only because he had no intention to let his revenge on Randy go by. He had no way to stop Jake from killing Randy, not without destroying their relationship. And he was doing it to protect Cody too, he had no choice. Cody would go back to Randy and get hurt and Mike was the only one who could stop that. "It doesn't matter Cody. Maybe you are right and I am wrong. It has happened before, not often… but still. Just be careful Codes. You trust too easily."

Cody returned the hug for a moment, jaw tensing in resolve. He would prove Mike wrong, he would prove everyone wrong. "I will Mikey." He felt no need to point out that he hadn't forgotten the gun against his head, the cold in Mike's voice and eyes at their last few fights. Mike was wrong, he didn't trust too easily. He did not trust anyone but himself... and Randy. And Mike? He would probably never trust him again. However, he was not about to speak that out loud, not when they had just gotten back to being something like friends again.

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**Please, please, please, please review! I know that people are reading this, I just have no idea how to get you to review. So please?**


	17. What's mine is NOT yours

**A/N: ****It took us long enough and I'm blaming fanfiction because we tried to update all week :p In truth I'm to blame because it took me ages to finish the first scene. When there's inspiration there's no time and when there's time there's no inspiration. There's only three chaps or so left and things are slowing getting to a boiling point. Have fun reading it and PLEASE review!**

**BTW Fanfiction is still being a bitch but I found a way around. For those of you who haven't fount it yet. Change property to content in when you get the error-message and you can update. If this nonsense keeps on I'll leave fanfiction and go to damaged-love. com **

**WARNING: ****Slash, SEX, lots of Cursing**

******DISCLAIMER: Not mine, boohoohoo :p

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**Chapter 17 What's mine is NOT yours**

Mike was furiously, almost desperately going through the papers. It had to be somewhere; Randy had to have written down something, somewhere. He had already gone through the majority of the stacks of papers on his desk, had searched most of the drawers, had already turned on the computer in the vain hope he had some data on there. Time was running out; Randy could be back any moment now. Mike had asked Wade to call him when they were close to the office, but he could not count on that. You never knew with Randy.

He grunted, hitting his fist on a stack of papers. Would it hurt Randy to be a little more organized? To have a nice little folder labeled 'toys' — their codeword for weapons —, but NO, everything was one fucking mess. It didn't help that Mike did not even have a name to go with. And that he needed it so badly. The marine stuff was his biggest selling point. He was the only one on the East Coast selling top-of-the-notch secret stuff and he had no idea how to get it without Randy's contacts. Wade's contacts had proven useless — too far down in the ranks to even know where the weapons were stored, even less able to get their hands on large quantities unnoticed. Without the weapons, he would lose the deal with Glenn Jacobs; without that deal, he would lose his momentum, his highway to the top.

He turned his attention from the useless papers to the computer. His next obstacle was of course a password. He drummed his fingers and randomly tried some words, but nothing worked. He would hire a hacker the moment he crossed over to Regal. He was getting more and more desperate now that all the words he tried failed. On the verge of giving up, he typed 'Cody Runnels' and to his huge surprise, the computer started loading. He softly chuckled. Randy was an idiot, having the name of your lover as a password. He had always been easy to read — never easy to handle — but so easy to read.

However, the computer also proved useless. Randy never really had the patience for the things and he found nothing even remotely interesting. Okay, besides some very, very sick porn. He wondered if Cody knew about Randy's little fetish. Maybe telling him would finally make his friend see the light. No time now, he needed to go…. Quickly, before anyone came in. He shut down the computer, and tried the desk a last time in a final and probably useless attempt to find anything. Otherwise, he would need to get his hands on Randy's phone and pickpocketing the viper was a little bit too dangerous, even for him.

But there, hidden under a stack of old newspapers, only a corner of it visible, lay a little book with a brown leather cover. He snatched it quickly, opening it with trembling hands and he needed to resist crying out in joy. Flipping through it, he saw names, dates, phone numbers, even meeting places. He pocketed the little book, quickly tidied the desk in a way that Randy wouldn't know that he had been there, and made his way to the door of the office.

"Randy? Are you back already? I thought we agreed you would really take care of business today. You know how much I hate…"

FUCK! Chris! Why did that asshole always have to ruin everything? Why had he wasted time checking out Randy's porn collection? Mike stayed quiet, creeping back, trying to find a place to hide, hoping that Chris would go into his own office before looking for Randy. But, no, the heavy footsteps came right to the office door. By the sound of his stumbling, he was drunk again, drunk, or stoned or both, probably both.

Nowhere to hide, so there was one last solution: act as if you belong here. Chris would probably not fall for it, but he was easily distracted when he was under influence. If all else failed, Mike had — God forbid that he would need them — some old tricks that always worked with the blonde. Mike made his way back to the desk, pretending that he was looking for something when his boss barged into the office.

"Why aren't you answering me Randy? I told you to clear things with the city council and NOT to insult them this time like you did last week. Randy?"

Mike slowly turned around, looking Chris straight in the eyes as he tried to pull a bored and as such, innocent enough expression. "Hey Chris."

"Mike? What the fuck are you doing here? You got no right to be here…" and on he rambled. Obviously E… there was nothing like Ecstasy to make his boss even more annoying.

"I'm just looking for some details on a deal Randy struck. The buyer contacted me…" Mike stopped himself before he started rambling, too. Not too many details, that was the secret of a good lie.

"Why you? He could've called Randy himself." Chris looked suspicious, and not without reason.

"Because Randy scared the creeps out of him the last time and he knows me too. He wants me to deliver the goods."

Chris huffed, it was not clear whether he bought it or not. His lips curled up in a sick smirk, eyes wandering up and down Mike's body. Mike tried to hide his look of disgust. By the flicker of anger in the blonde's eyes, he did not succeed in hiding it all too well.

"You could've called Randy yourself to ask him."

"You know why I can't." His voice shook. It was just a tiny tremble and he prayed that Chris did not notice it. Any display of weakness would give Chris give the upper hand.

For a moment Chris' eyes bored into his, showing something almost like compassion. Mike snarled at that look. He did not need Jericho's sympathy; he refused to be that weak.

"I have to go," Mike said almost offhandedly, trying to slip past the older man.

"I need to talk to you first. Let's go to my office." A shudder made clear that Mike was not the only one who felt uncomfortable being in the viper's hole uninvited.

Mike had no choice but to follow him, being careful to keep a few steps behind his boss. Too often had he felt those meaty hands on his ass, that disgusting body pressed against his back, dry humping him like a dog. Chris' promise to keep his hands to himself meant nothing to Mike.

Inside his office, Mike kept close to the door, refusing the offer of a seat and a drink. Chris did not seem to mind. He dropped down on one of the comfortable chairs, pouring himself a royal amount of whiskey and downing half of it in one sip.

"So Mike… It's been too long. I almost thought you disappeared from the earth. Not such a bad idea after that little stunt you pulled on Cody." He chuckled, "I kinda think you owe me for not telling Randy about that gun you pulled on his little plaything. And now you owe me even more…." With a sick grin he added, "Is this just a little game you're playing? Some little game so your pet won't mind you coming back into my bed? Or are you gonna offer me Jake as a reward for keeping my mouth shut? Because I think that Randy would be very interested in the fact you were sneaking around in his office, looking through his stuff. Randy already thinks you're out to betray us. But I know you would be nothing without us, nothing without me."

Mike raised his hand and glared at his boss. The venom in his eyes was unfamiliar and made Chris gulp. "Shut up, Chris. Shut the fuck up." When he realized the blond listened to him for once, he continued. "Do you really think you can blackmail me?"

"As a matter of fact I know I can, darling." Chris slowly got out of his chair, stalking towards Mike. He did not touch him. The murder in Mike's eyes was too obvious for him to ignore. Or maybe it was not...

"Come on Mikey…" It was purred. He raised his hand to touch Mike's cheek, but the younger man roughly pushed him away.

"Stop calling me that. The name is Mike." His eyes were cold as steel now, his voice filled with poison. He felt deadly calm now. Somewhere along the line, Chris had crossed the final border.

"Geesh Mike, I didn't know that bothered you that much. I've been calling you Mikey forever. What the hell is wrong with you?" Again, Chris tried to touch him and again Mike slapped his hands away.

"What's wrong with me is you! I'm sick of this Chris. I'm sick of being disrespected, I'm sick of being treated like a whore, I'm sick of not getting what I deserve and most of all I'm sick of people trying to touch what's mine."

"What? What the hell are you talking about? You are the one pulling guns on people and sneaking around in places you shouldn't be. I did nothing here!"

Mike trembled in a useless attempt to keep his anger locked inside. This was not the time to pick a fight, but Chris had him trapped and they both knew it. Think Mike… think….

Chris was still studying him, that sick grin glued to his face. But, at least he had backed off and fallen back into his chair. "You're so pretty when you're angry, baby." Chris purred again. That sick fuck probably thought he would be on his knees for him any minute now. Well, he would be in for a nasty surprise.

Mike walked towards the window, hands behind his back as he pretended to stare outside. "You know Chris… I met an old friend of you last week. We had quite an interesting talk."

"Who did you talk to?" Now Chris' voice was flat, as if he was desperately trying to hide a panic.

Mike grinned and turned around, hopping onto the windowsill. "Does the name Adam Copeland ring a bell?" He could not help chuckling at the shock on his bosses face.

"What did you talk about?" Chris' voice was tight and shaky now. He slammed another glass of booze back. Ha… like getting drunk would get him out of this one.

"Oh, nothing special, he just wanted to know what you've been up to the last few years. If you know what I mean…"

"You can't tell him anything… you can't… the guy is a cop, he'll lock me up… he'll lock us all up. Please Mike, don't say you told him anything."

"Really Chrissy? Really?" He hopped off the windowsill again and made his way to Chris, staring down on him. "I know that, _darling. _I also know that you're the only one he cares about. It makes me wonder what you did to him, Chrissy. I'd say you might wanna think a little better about how you treat your employees… I'd say you should think a little better how you treat _me_! Have I made myself clear?"

"Why are you doing this? Haven't I given you everything you ever wanted? I thought we were friends."

Mike snarled. He could not believe the stupidity of this guy. "Friends, Chris? Do you even know what that word means? For ten years you and Randy have been using me, you have abused me, raped me, and taken the money I made you without ever giving me the respect I deserve. And I let you, for some stupid reason I thought I needed you. I thought that one day you would see what I'm worth. We could've been friends… if you had been the mentor I wanted when I first joined you. But for that, it's too late. Didn't you realize that one day you would go too far?"

"I'm sorry for what Randy did to you. I can't control him. I never could, and lately he's more insane than ever."

"YOU'RE SORRY FOR WHAT RANDY DID TO ME?" Again, Mike lost control, another deep breath and he got it back. At least partly, he was disgusted by the way his voice shook. "It's easy enough to apologize for what someone else did. I should've known that you aren't man enough to admit to what you did wrong yourself."

"And what did I do exactly? I never did more than take what you offered me. I never forced you, Mike. You always came willingly."

"Because that was the only fucking way that I could get you to listen to me. The only way I could get you to forget about all the stupid, insane and dangerous ideas you had. It was the only fucking way to keep us all alive!"

"You're overreacting, Mikey."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME MIKEY ANYMORE!" He clenched and unclenched his fists and took deep breaths in an attempt to regain control. This was not the conversation he wanted to have. This was the kind of shit that happened when you let people in, let yourself feel things. It sucked big time and if it had not been for Jake, he would forego all that nonsense in a heartbeat.

"Anyway Chris…," he continued in a flat and scary, strangely calm voice that made Chris shiver.

"…you won't mention a damn thing to Randy, you stay away from me and you stay away from Jake. If you act nice like that, I might keep my mouth shut. Did I make myself clear?"

He looked into the panicked eyes of his boss and he knew that the message had had the desired effect. Fluently he turned around and walked to the door and out of the room.

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One, two, three, four days, four fucking long, exasperating, crucial days. Four days since Cody had stormed out of his house and out of his life. Four days since the bugger had stood up to him, had TALKED DOWN on him, and still he had not had the decency to fucking apologize to him yet.

Not for the truth he had been speaking, no, but for talking to him like that, for blaming HIM for everything, for showing no respect to him at all.

Four days of tossing and turning, drinking and sniffling, four days of whoring around, of fucking everything within reach only to make his life less empty, less dull, to make the pain go away.

Fuck Cody for what he had done to him, for just leaving him there like that, making him look like a complete fool. He would pay for it, he would fucking apologize to him -his lover, his BOSS- right fucking now and he was not going to leave until Cody was following his orders again. He OWED him that.

"How about Irvine?" They had been playing that game for about an half hour already, Cody sitting on his desk, feet dangling off it, while Wade stood only mere feet away from him. Stepping closer and closer with each passing minute.

"Hell no! I don't want those old, dirty, groping hands all over my dashing body! Ever!" Cody's lips were curled up in a slight smirk, tongue sneaking out every now and then to run across his lips, teasingly, eyes shining with a new glimmer of lust, one they had not shown in quite a while.

Chuckling, Wade took another step closer, striding, now only one foot away from the rather cute brunette. "Understandable. I doubt ANYONE wants to get touched by that without getting a decent amount of money for it."

It was a game of teasing, of seducing, going on ever since he had stormed out of Randy's house and out of his life. 'Shows the bastard what he's missing out on.' 'How dare him to blame HIM for his shitty life.' Sure, he missed him. Sure, he still loved Randy with every fiber of his heart. However, he would not be the one making the first step this time. He would not give in that easily this time, hell, maybe even never again.

He was not going to play THAT game again.

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"How about Ted? He has quite the crush on you." Wade's voice, thick, heavy English accent was sending chills down his spine, a fact he could not hide from the older man who was now standing almost nose-to-nose with him. Brow cocked, brown eyes shining with lust, with want, lips slightly parted as if to invite him, invite HIS tongue to enter any given moment.

He dropped his voice to a low rumble as Wade leaned down to wait for an answer, husking it straight in his ear. So close, very close, that their cheeks were brushing against eachothers and he could feel the heat radiating from the tall Englishman whose body was hovering above him, trapped between those strong, thick muscled arms. "Ted's not man enough for me… I need a man… a REAL man."

He heard the sharp intake of breath by the older man, smirk only growing as a wave of dominance washed over him, knowing he had him, had Wade already trapped and only needed to say one last line before he would help him forget about Randy.

However, he never got to say those words.

A low, rumbled growl –- one Cody knew all too well — made their heads jerk towards the heavy iron-door that fell shut only moments later. Wade instantly took a few steps back as his eyes landed on the muscular, dark-tanned, tattooed man whose eyes were shimmering with rage and fury, lips drawn into a snarl as he stalked towards them.

"Take your fucking filthy hands off my boy!" Wade was already backing off, but still Randy felt the urge to give the order, barking through the else now silent lab.

Cody had yet to move, blue eyes wide but cold as he returned Randy's glare, same venom and anger in them as the day when he had snapped at the older man. His hands were now resting on his thighs, on the same spot Wade's large palms had currently massaged only seconds ago.

"I'm not your boy anymore!" It was spat out cold and without a thought given to how Randy would react to it. The young man held his head up high even when Randy finally stood in front of him, towering over him, face so close that their noses were almost touching.

"You still are and you'll always be. So, cut that crap!"

Somewhere along those growled yet whispered words, Wade had managed to skip out of the lab unnoticed, glad that all of Randy's attention now lay on the little minx who had currently been flirting with him. Even though he wasn't afraid of Randy, he still held a lot of respect for the clearly psychotic man and wanted nothing to do with him or his relationship-troubles for that matter.

He was quite sure Cody could handle the situation on his own, having a feeling that Randy would never hurt the young man, not physically, not intentionally. That much he had learned by now.

However, for the sake of it he stayed outside, hand on his 36'er just in case. The marines had taught him to never trust his feelings, even if you were SURE everything was going to be all right.

"You little shit! How long are you screwing that English bastard behind my back, already, huh? How long, you little, betraying minx!" Randy was face-to-face with the younger brunette now, eyes merely two small slits showing pure fury, pure passion as he cut off Cody's only chance to escape.

To his surprise, however, Cody did not even budge one bit. "It's none of your fucking business who I fuck and when!"

"To hell it is!" Randy's hands were balled into tightly clenched fists muscles in his shoulders flexing as he hovered over his younger lover, EX-lover. To anyone else he would have been the perfect picture of power, intimidating and threatening, but not to Cody.

"You made it perfectly clear that I'm nothing more than a pathetic little plaything to you, RANDAL, so don't pretend to fucking care what I do and what not!" Cody's composure slowly seemed to fade, though his voice spoke volumes to what he was truly feeling. He was not at all scared of the man in front of him, but he was slowly starting to regret their fight from a few days ago.

He missed him, despite the hatred radiating through his body right now — and four days ago — he fucking missed that man, and he was furious with himself for those feelings that would not go away, no matter what he did.

A hand came up to wrap around his throat, fingers tightly digging into his flesh as he gasped in surprise, Randy's nose touching his own as the older man hissed. "Don't. Call. Me. Randal, you fucking slut. You know that only my parents ever called me by that name." Though his voice was still strong and steady, his tone had dropped to a low whisper, partly in fear of anyone overhearing him and partly because his anger was slowly replaced by a sharp pain in his chest.

"I'm not a slut." Cody's voice slowly started to shake, eyes widening as Randy toyed with his air-supply, tears dwelling up in them, of pain, of sadness at the hurtful words Randy was throwing at him. "But of course you don't trust me… You never did and never will… I'm just a waste of time for you… Someone to fuck and then carelessly throw away… Someone who's only out to manipulate you, right? So why the fuck do you even care if I screw around or not?"

His resistance was completely gone now; energy fading with each passing second that Randy's fingers were choking him. However, the tingling feeling in his fingers went unnoticed as he was completely focusing on Randy's features, on his reaction. He even thought that he had seen something akin to regret in Randy's eyes, for one single second at least.

"Cause you're mine." Again, Randy's voice was barely above a whisper, words snarled as he pressed his large, muscled body into Cody's, in turn pressing the younger man into his desk.

The heated argument they were having had the strangest of all affects on him, his cock slowly stiring to life with each word that was said, growing harder with each passing second. The fury in Cody's eyes did nothing but to turn him on and he quickly needed to ease the tension before he was going to burst.

Before Cody could react, before he could even grasp what was happening, his pants were roughly yanked down his toned legs and he was spun around, bent over the desk. Gasping for air as the cool wood dug into his lower abdomen, yelping a little in surprise, he tried to prepare himself for what was about to come.

However, he did not have enough time to brace himself as seconds later, Randy's hard, throbbing dick was shoved inside of his unprepared walls, roughly, sharply, to the hilt, the scream wanting to escape his lips only muffled by Randy's large palm covering his mouth.

He felt his insides stretch and burn, immediately knowing that he was bleeding, stifling another cry of pain when Randy's head lolled forward onto his shoulder, the older man groaning into his ear, hands firmly planted on his hips. "Fuck… Mine."

To not only his surprise, but also to Randy's, Cody rocked back, own cock springing to life at Randy's possessiveness, voice strangled as he choked out a re-assuring "Yours" before turning his head around to press his lips onto those of the older man.

It was not the sweet roughness they usually shared. It was a lot more, more passion, more possessiveness, more aggression, more primal. It was to show Cody whom he truly belonged to and also to assure Randy where his heart belonged.

"Yours." Growled, rumbled into Cody's ear, it went straight to the younger mans heart as it skipped a beat at the simple meaning of that one word. It made all the pain he was in worth it.

Randy did not stay still for long, barely giving Cody time to adjust, to get used to the brutal stretching, as he barreled forward into the tight heat of the younger man, arms holding Cody upright, wrapped around the young brunette's waist, with his hands placed on his lower abdomen.

His thrusts were quick but precise, sharp and deep, rocking them into the desk they were pressed against, sure to leave huge welts of red, bruises of blue and pink on Cody's thighs.

It did not take long for either one of them to get close; the last days of pent up sexual frustration combined with the heat of the moment, the passion of their coupling, enough to reach their peaks in only a matter of mere minutes.

Randy's hand wrapped around his lover's abandoned, weeping length the second Cody let go of a gasped plea, pumping him hard and fast, in synch with his frantic thrusts.

Cody's mouth dropped open in a silent moan, head dropping back against Randy's shoulder as his hips bucked back and forth, trying to force the thick girth even deeper into his clenching heat.

Randy's teeth attacked the sensitive spot between Cody's shoulder and his neck, sucking and biting, as his hips went out of control, thrusting, pounding, pushing, hammering, fist speeding up on the throbbing, pulsing length of the younger man.

A hoarse demand, mumbled into Cody's sweat-damp skin, was all the younger man needed to lose control. "Cum for me! Show me that you're mine and only mine!"

Doubling over, his torso connected with the desk, eyes rolling into the back of his head, Randy's name spilling from his lips in a loud wail of completion, of satisfaction.

That, paired with Cody's walls clenching around him, tightening around him to a point were it became downright painful, was all it took for the 'Viper' to coil. Quickly scrambling to withdraw his throbbing dick, Randy only needed a few more strokes before losing control, seed splashing onto his lover's lower back and his thighs, painting him, marking him as it coupled with the drops of blood leaking from the younger mans abused hole.

"Fuck!" Randy shuddered, hips still bucking wildly as he milked himself dry, one hand on Cody's back to keep himself up as he felt all his energy leaving.

Cody was the first to catch his breath, slowly straightening up again and opening his eyes only to feel the world spinning around him. Screwing his lids back shut again, a small smile tucking on his lips, he inhaled deeply a few more times before reaching for his pants, ready to pull them back up.

However, he was still by the large palm curling around his wrist, and as he turned his head around with wide eyes, he was slightly startled to see Randy on his knees, staring up at him with dark, warm eyes, remorse and desperation clearly visible on his troubled features.

He did not say a word, only swallowing hard as he watched Randy's tongue sneak out to lap at his cum- and bloodstained thighs, a low growl of "Mine" once again rumbling through the air and rocking him to the core.

Eyes fluttering back shut, Cody braced himself on the desk again, automatically spreading his legs further apart, lips curling up into a proud smile as he enjoyed the feeling of Randy's warm tongue so thoroughly cleaning him up. An act so intimate and gentle that he could not help but to hope. "Yours."

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**please review**


	18. Redemption

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, only two more chaps following after this one and only a few more scenes that need to be written so I hope it won't take too long before the last bits are up. Thanks for everyone who has been reviewing both on my profile and on Legacychick's. I have absolutely nothing more to say besides that nOTING beats screaming 'CENA SUCKS' along with 20000 other people. On to Wrestlemania I hope! So no rambling from me today. BTW I hope to get the next (and final) part of the 'Life After You'-series finished pretty soon and after that I'm probably gonna take a long break from ff. I will keep reading (at least some, seeing Mike and others in real life makes it pretty hard for me to write or read slash right now), but I don't think I will be posting.**

**Warning: You guys know this story by now. It's where we take out all our build-up frustration, it's brutal, as usual. Special warming: Character death/suicide.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a crazy mind and a obsession with really sick things... **_**and**_** my muses, though I seem to have lost a few.**

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**Chapter 18 Redemption**

"You wouldn't believe it."

"Believe what?"

Chris' feet were up on his desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, a smirk so sick and twisted that it mirrored Randy's on his lips as he regarded his partner with smugness. "Guess who was in your office earlier today?"

"Damn it, Irvine… I'm in no mood for this shit. Just spill it." He truly wasn't in the mood for games, headache still raging and bones still sore after spending half the night showing Cody whom he belonged to and the other half with downing his regrets in Jack Daniels and E.

Obviously, Chris knew when not to push his partner any further, even though it seemed to be the only thing he knew. "Mike."

"Mike? What the fuck was that little bunch of shit doing in my office?"

"He said he needed some information for a deal." Chris' voice was still as flat and emotionless as before, though his body tensed up immediately as he saw the rage flickering in Randy's eyes.

"That little bastard." Growling, Randy clenched his fists at his side, brows drawn together as his eyes sparkled with something akin blood lust. "And you didn't do a thing?" Though still staring straight ahead, a far away look in his eyes as if he was already planning something, his voice dripped with venom as he directed the question at his older partner.

The blonde instantly flinched as he knew he was somewhat caught, trying to figure how he could guide Randy's anger in the right direction again. "Well… he… I wasn't… He was threatening me."

The ridiculous, pathetic sounding excuse caused the heavily tanned man to snort in laughter, gaze concentrating on the seemingly uncomfortable blonde again as he shook his head with a tsk. "He threatened you, huh?"

"Yeah." Even a Chris Irvine was not resistant against the cold, psychopathic venom radiating from Randy, Adam's apple bopping visibly as he gulped. "I mean… He told me if I said a word, he'd have a nice little chat with Copeland. Did you know that bastard is in town again? He's obviously not…"

"ENOUGH!" Clenched fists connected with hard wood as Randy slammed them down on his partner's desk, order spit out in a menacing growl as he locked eyes with the older man. "I don't wanna hear your pathetic shit."

He turned around before Chris could even do so much as to blink, stalking towards the door while he mumbled under his breathe. "You better hope that little shit didn't find anything in my office, or it's your head that will roll right after HIS, Irvine!"

Randy suddenly stopped again; hand already on the doorknob as he arched a brow, a light bulb seemingly having gone off in his head. Turning back around, he fixed his partner with a curious stare, lips twitching up into a snarl. "Tell me one more thing, Irvine."

Taken aback by Randy's sudden mood-change, the blonde blinked rapidly, head whipping up and down in a nod as he swallowed down. "Go ahead." Damn, even his voice was shaking now.

"If Michael threatened to hand you over to Copeland if you say a word… then why did you tell me?" It was a legitimate question, Randy's anger fading for the moment as his curiosity got the better of him, waiting for his partner to answer.

Shrugging his shoulders, still keeping eye-contact with the taller, much fitter man more out of fear than out of respect now, Chris let go of a shaky breathe before smacking his lips. "If he goes through with the threat, I will not only be able to get my hands on him, but also on Copeland. He'll come to me, and this time I'll be waiting for him and finish the job."

Though wanting to laugh at the naïve thought of the older man, Randy just shook his head and shrugged, before turning the door-handle around. "Well, you better hope you get the job done… else it'll be the last time someone's ever coming after you."

Chris did not even have time to register the muttered threat completely before the door slammed shut again, as he stared –- visibly shaking — at the closed door Randy had just walked out off. The calm and menacing tone Randy had spoken those words with meant only one thing: he was truly screwed.

What neither of them had realized though, was the man standing behind the corner down the hallway, body pressed flat into the wall as he had listened in on their whole conversation.

* * *

It was late at night, very late, and he was tired, so very, very tired, exhausted. Emotionally, physically, mentally. Everything was too much; everything too straining.

A picture of Randy popped into his mind, behind closed lids, Randy, furious, enraged, so close to his face that he could smell the scent of sex on him, the alcohol reeking from his mouth. "I've heard about your little adventure with Cody, Ted… He told me everything, every little detail."

Those last days had been hell for him, those last weeks, months. So stressing, so exhausting, so draining. On his body, on his mind… and mostly on his heart.

'Our friendship is over, Ted… As far as I'm concerned, I've never met you.'

He'd lost everything. His money, his heart, his only friend left.

'And if you ever so much as to lay a hand on my boy, I swear by god, Ted… You're dead meat.'

He had regretted everything. From his gambling to his occasional visits at the 'Mi Amore' to that one fling with Cody… HIS Cody.

Randy's fist had connected with the wall only inches away from his head, the older mans breathe hot on his skin, his threatening tone making him frozen, so very frozen and scared.

"Don't think he ever loved you, Ted… You know better than it. He's never loved anyone but me."

The laughter filled his ears again, so deriding, humiliating as Cody sat in Randy's lap, caressing him, touching him, loving him… in a way he always wished to be loved. Endlessly, with all his heart.

"Common, Teddy… Don't be a fuss… You really do scream like a girl… and god… If you not also fuck like one."

The deathly glare Randy had been giving him while Cody laughed, full of disgust and scorn.

The pictures would not leave him, would not go away, no matter if awake or asleep. They were following him wherever he went.

The rough linen felt so cool on his skin, so right, as if it belonged there, his eyes wide open now, blood-shot and empty.

His wife barely looked at him anymore, had not touched him in months, calling him sick, twisted, pathetic… just like Cody had so many times ago.

Chris made fun of him and Mike despised him… Jake looked down on him and Wade did not even know him… did not recognize him. And the only person that forgave his sins wanted nothing to do with him now.

"It is better for us if you never show up at our church again, Ted."

Pastor Brooks in a hospital, bloodied, broken, bandages covering his hair, lips split open, eye bruised.

"I fell… and I think if you show up again… I might fall again."

Fell, yeah… He knew by the look in his eyes that it had been a lie, knew who had done this to him… and he knew exactly why.

'And if your little friend Brooks ever gets in my way again, it will be the last thing he'll ever do.'

The words were still ringing in his ear, despite the drunken state Randy had been in they were sober and unmistakably. Threatening… just like the words he had spit at him minutes ago.

"I cannot forgive your sins anymore, Ted. GOD cannot forgive your sins any longer. There is nothing you can do to take the guilt off you."

He had to laugh at that, a cold, empty laugh, knowing damn well, there was ONE option he had still left. One way to find forgiveness. One way to take the guilt, the nagging, boring, searing guilt away.

Cody would be there in a few hours, always the first up, always the first downstairs, always the first at work. And that was just the way he wanted it… The one person he wanted to be found by in the one place that had ruled all his life. The one place that reigned all his memories.

The only sound heard in the dark, neatly cleaned lab was his heavy breathing now as he looked down at the floor. He had made sure the kitten would not cross his plans, the one that had been teasingly named after him, the one that would not even let him touch its fur without clawing at him.

He truly had no one left, nothing to live for anymore. Only redemption would save him now.

The noise of the chair toppling over echoed through the empty lab, one short, dull thud filling the room, panting, struggling gasps ringing through the icy-cold air. Only a minute later the four walls were filled with silence again, his eyes wide open, his body unmoving, his skin cold… just like his final weeks had been.

* * *

Mike snapped his head up at the sound of the doorbell. Almost instinctually he reached for his gun and propped it into the back of his jeans. Jake always told him off for doing that, saying it would cost him his balls one day. He couldn't risk opening he door with a gun in his hand, however ― that wasn't a good way to meet your new neighbors. And he certainly couldn't risk opening the door without it. Only a few more days, a few more days and all his plans would be set in motion and he could feel safe again.

He carefully made his way to the door, evading the boxes that where stacked all over the place. The doorbell rang again. Who could it be? Not neighbors bringing over cookies; it was not that kind of neighborhood. Security maybe. They needed a spy cam or something. Now he had to do with the little peephole.

What the hell was Wade doing here? And why was Vicky with him? How did they know each other? Did they even know each other? Trouble, this smelled like trouble. He opened the door and quickly motioned them in.

"What are you doing here?"

"Good afternoon to you too, Michael. I would've said your mother raised you better, but in your case, I'm not so sure." She just smiled back at his scowl. "Still nervous Mike? You should be. Mr. Barrett here has some really urgent news."

"How… how did you find me?"

"I know everything that goes on around here, Michael. You should know that by now. So when Wade was looking for you, I thought it was worth the trouble of checking out this rumor of the two men buying old Dick's house. Girls gossip, Mikey and they gossip a lot about hot men like you and that darling lover of yours. Anyway…"

Wade scraped his throat. "I'm sorry to disturb you boss, but I got some pretty urgent news. Maybe gossiping can wait until you've heard this?"

"My, my, my…" Vicky giggled. "I didn't know the English could be so blunt. I normally go for blonds, but you might be the exception for that rule."

Mike would've smiled at the repulsion on Wade's face, if Wade's news couldn't be one of the many, many things he was insanely worried about and ― even though he hated to call it that ― hiding from. "Tell me, Barrett!"

"I overheard Chris talking to Randy about you." Alarm bells went off in Mike's head. "He told Randy he saw you in his office, told him about you threatening him. Now I don't know how much of this is true and how much is Cody's new pills talking, but Randy seemed to buy it."

Mike wanted to scream. He wanted to scream and rage and destroy everything around him, but he didn't. Not with Wade here. Wade couldn't see him panicked. Loyalty was a fragile thing. So he listened calmly while Wade told him everything Randy and Chris had said and when he finished he took his phone and dialed the number that had been secretly delivered to the lab a few days ago.

"I have what you want. Meet me where we first met in two hours. Make sure you're ready to act on it." He hung up after he got the reassurance he wanted. Immediately after that he tried to call Jake, but he got only his voicemail. He didn't bother to leave a message. Jake would see the missed call and call back.

"Wade? I owe you big time for this and be sure you'll be rewarded for it. Now go track down Jake. He should be somewhere around the docks, and tell him to meet me here as soon as possible, but no later than 7.30. If he can't make that, let him call me. No… let him call me anyway. After that, I want you to go back to the lab. Keep an eye on Randy if you can."

"What are you gonna do Mike?" Vicky asked almost breathless. She gossiped a lot, but her life was pretty empty of real things happening.

"Keeping a promise…." The sick grin on his face made both Vicky and Wade think better of asking anything else.

* * *

Copeland was already there when Mike pulled up into the deserted lane. Somewhere deep down he still suspected it was a trap, that there would be a S.W.A.T-team jumping on them the moment he left the car.

"Are you sure about this Mike? We can just kill Chris, or let someone else deliver the evidence," Jake echoed Mike's worries.

"That was the plan… I wanted to send Carlos or Nick. But Chris telling Randy screwed everything up. And by the way, you never know what those junkies blather about. They only have to revere to me as boss once and I'm screwed. No Jake, I need to do this myself." He rubbed Jakes thigh, reassuring the younger man, and himself, God knew he needed the reassurance. He was sick with nerves, sick with fear, sick with not knowing. He didn't show, though, he never showed; he had to be strong, had to be hard, had to be tough. One way or another things had to come to an end. "You stay in the car, Jakey."

"But…" Jake glared at him, blue eyes dark with fear, voice trembling close to a panic.

Not for the first time today Mike wanted to scream. Fear didn't fit his blonde, fear didn't fit him. Randy had to die, he had to die soon and everything would be all right again.

"If things go wrong, we need to go soon. So I need you in the car. Please Jay?" This didn't do anything to reassure Jake. It was the first time that Mike had admitted things could go wrong, it was the first time Mike said, 'please'. Jake nodded, not convinced nut obeying nonetheless.

"It will be all right Jay, it will." Mike didn't know if he said that to calm himself or Jake. He grabbed the big yellow envelop tightly, took one big breath and got out of the car.

His nervousness didn't show, his face was cold, his eyes frozen steel, his movements controlled and supple as he strolled into the direction of the cop. His eyes made contact with grey eyes that showed as little as his, and suddenly Mike realized Adam was as nervous as he. This could've been a trap for Adam as well as one for Mike. If Chris would have treated Mike a little bit better, if he would've kept his dirty hands away from Jake, if Chris would've been a little smarter, Mike would now be helping Chris to get his revenge instead.

The irony of the situation made him chuckle and his chuckle made Adam jump. Mike was suddenly back in control and it showed in his movements, in the grin on his face, the amusement now sparkling in his blue eyes.

"Something funny, Mizanin?" Adam grunted.

"I just realized something, that's all."

Adam stared hard at him, probably trying to read him. Good luck with that, blondy. "You got what I asked for?"

"Yep." Mike handed him the envelope and turned around, back to the car. Two steps later he turned back. "The deal is clear, right? Only Chris!"

Adam nodded, questions burning from his eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it again. Mike raised an eyebrow and just before he turned around again, Adam finally spoke, "Why?"

"I'm simply being a good citizen."

"Quit the bullshit, Mizanin. You and I both know that isn't true. Why take the risk of you being arrested as well? You know as well as I do that Chris will try to take everyone with him, that he will do everything to save his own skin. And why only Chris? If I'm informed correctly, Orton is as bad as he is, probably even worse. You could give me both and take over yourself."

Mike was silent for quite a while, thinking about how much he could say, how much he wanted to say. Finally he answered all the questions just with five simple words, "Chris doesn't have to die."

He didn't wait for a reaction, didn't wait for his words to sink in, but turned around and walked back to his car. As they drove away they passed Adam who still stood in the same place, rubbing his chin. Mike motioned Jake to slow down and rolled down the window. "If you ever tire of being the good guy, come and find me."

With those final words, Jake sped away.

* * *

The stress of the past few days was showing in his features, his else so bright eyes had lost their sparkle. Though Randy and he had made up again, he still had to cope with that little demon inside of him telling him how fucked up their relationship was; not that he had ever expected it to be any different.

Just like last night had shown. Despite having slept in Randy's house, in his bed, in THEIR bedroom, he had only seen the older man when waking up this morning. Randy and not returned from wherever he had been until very late last night when Cody himself had already been fast asleep. And this morning it had been impossible to wake him up. Not that he had REALLY tried, knowing the older man would rip him a new hole that early in the morning.

So he had gotten out of bed all unsatisfied and grumpy, not even bothering to shower, and walked downstairs into the kitchen to fetch himself some coffee. While he had been at it, he had prepared a light breakfast for his older lover and carried it upstairs to place it on the night-stand with a little note attacked to the can off burning-hot coffee that he would be in the lab if needed. As if he was EVER anywhere else.

The walk towards the lab didn't do anything to lighten his mood. What had started as a slight drizzle had ended up in a downpour soaking him to the skin and this city sure looked like the shit it was in the gloomy light of what should have been a bright spring morning. He was cold, he was tired and he was damn near sick of all the tension around him. All he wanted was for things to go back as they had been. He wanted the days back where Mike would be in the lab already with hot coffee waiting for him, he wanted to go back to joking around with Mike, making fun of both Jake and Ted, he wanted to trust people again and not fearing that every time he turned his back someone might turn up dead, hell that he might turn up dead just for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Just a few weeks ago, life had been fun, life had been easy and now — even though he would never give up the love he found with Randy — he just wanted everything to change back to normal.

And just to prove how things had changed, when he came to the lab everything was silent. He cursed. The lab would be cold, he hated being here alone when it was still dark AND he needed his fucking cup of coffee.

Groaning at the thought of an empty, quiet lab, no Wade, no Ted, no Mike around, he let himself in. The room was dark and the only noise ringing in his ears was the silent purr of young Teddy, the kitten obviously coming closer to him as the volume increased. Fidgeting around on the wall for the light-switch, he tried to block out the stress and drama of the past weeks, concentrating on the good things that had happened. Not a lot though, not enough to bring the smile back onto his features. The light went on slowly, flickering a few times before brightening up the room. He needed to blink more than once until his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, fully taking in the state the lab was in. The emptiness, the neatly organized stuff, the... A scream tore through the room, his eyes wide in shock as he took in the sight in front of him, his heart seemingly stopping to beat.

No…, no…, no…, NOOOOOOOO! This was a fucking nightmare. He needed to wake up. He was still dreaming. He HAD to be dreaming. He staggedred back into the wall, stumbling over the little ball of fur in the process, hands covering his face, shaking his head, screaming, still screaming. 'Wake up Cody, wake up, fucking WAKE UP!'

But when he opened his eyes again, reluctantly staring straight ahead, his eyes again met feet, dangling just inches above the concrete floor. He didn't want to look higher, didn't want to see the grotesque, swollen face again, didn't want to see the stains defiling his pants, didn't want to hear the slight squeaking of the swinging body.

'Your fault it's all, your fault.' The words sounded in Ted's voice. Cody was afraid that if he looked up he would see the lips of Ted's lifeless body moving. "It's all my fault," he echoed between ragged sobs. "It's all my fault."

Hands fumbling for the lock again, wanting, NEEDING to get away, his stomach churning, the little he had for breakfast rising up his throat again, he heaved a sigh of relief as he finally stumbled outside. Doubling over, releasing his stomach, panting, gasping, his mind was swirling.

Now he was very glad that the streets were still empty, the tears strolling down his cheeks blurring his vision as his feet -faster and faster- brought him away from the lab, away from Ted. So many thoughts invading his brain. Doubts, regrets, frustration, sadness, sickness, pain, heart clenching, he emptied his stomach again half-way through his jog, not even knowing where to run first. They needed to know. They all needed to know. Mike, Chris, everyone. They would know how to handle this situation, know how to cope with it, know what to do.

The image of Ted's life-less, numb body dangling from the ceiling was embedded in his mind, the dull, blank, wide eyes, the wet stains on his jeans, the smell of death still invading his nostrils as he stormed into the house with a loud cry, almost giving his now wide-awake lover a heart-attack.

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**REVIEWS MIGHT MOTIVATE US TO WRITE THE LAST FEW BITS SOONER ;)**


	19. No Mercy

**A/N:**

**Me: So, this thing is really coming close to the end right now. There have been times when all I could think about was this story, and there have been times that I just wished it to be over. But now it's almost done, I'm really proud of it.**

**Legacy_chick: I dunno if to cry or to throw a party that we're about to finish this story, but I do know that I wanna thank everyone who stayed with us from the beginning to the end. Especially our dearest reviewers. Without you people we'd surely have given up a long time ago.**

**Me: Or maybe not. This story has been excellent to let out all my frustrations, anger and insanity. Anyways, only one more chapter after this one and I can promise you that will be exciting and hopefully really unexpected.**

**Legacy_chick: Now, not to let you wait any longer, the long awaited update.**

**WARNING: A very high amount of Violence, Cursing, Blood, Angst and Violence. Don't say we didnt warn you**!

**DISCLAIMER: This has in no way been based on reality (duh). We do NOT, I repeat NOT think that Chris Jericho is fat, or unattractive or anything like that. In fact we think he's quite sexy. **

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**Chapter 19, No Mercy**

Chris was in a surprisingly good mood. It was surprisingly considering all the chaos that threatened to pull apart his beautiful business. It wasn't only that his boy Mike had threatened to get him locked up again, that Randy was out for Mike's skin, or that Wade had just called him to tell that the dead body of his employee was hanging in his lab. He also had to cope with the fact that he hadn't gotten laid in weeks now AND that he had just burst out of his favorite pair of jeans. Considering all of this, it was indeed surprising to see Chris singing and dancing in his office.

Dressed in only his boxers and an open dress-shirt he was singing along with 'We Will Rock You' on top of his lungs. He was feeling on top of the world today. He had waken up with the best, most devious, vicious and brilliant plan that had ever sprung up in his mind.

If he'd known he had onlookers, he might have put on some decent clothes at least. And if he'd known what was about to happen minutes later, his mood would've surely have dropped to the bottom.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Mike had his binoculars pressed tightly to his eyes, eyebrows forming a deep frown as he watched from the building on the other side of the street. Jake, standing right next to him, had as much of an answer to that question and he shrugged his shoulders as he took his binoculars down to rub his temples.

"He's probably high on E again."

"That or he got laid." They both broke out in laughter at that, though Mike's face was somewhat scrunched up in disgust at the mere thought of that.

On the other side of the street Chris continued his dancing and had now added a round of air-guitar to his show. He would show them all. He would get his revenge on Adam, he would make sure Jake and Randy kill each other off and he would celebrate his win by getting Mike back onto his knees again. Maybe, if the boy would come crawling back nicely enough, he would even give him Randy's position in his business. Just for show off course, he was the one that had the brilliant mind. He launched into another song, imagining to be the rockstar he always knew he had in him. Maybe he would also record an album and go on tour, he would get freaking famous all over the world, people would cheer his name and ask his autograph everywhere he came.

The black Mustang had been waiting in front of the building for an hour already, engine shut off, windows only slightly turned down in order to let a fresh breeze in, the blond in the driver's seat tapping impatiently against the steering-wheel... until his phone went off.

"Yeah?"

"He's alone... If I were you, I'd do it now. No goons around and Orton is comforting his precious little thing."

"Good lord, finally."

Mike could see the door of the Mustang opening from where he stood in the empty suit of the other building, smirking when he saw two other cars drive into place behind Copeland's.

"Do me a favor and send Chris my sincerest apologies, will you?" The laughter filling the line was cruel and cold, Copeland shook his head as he shut off his phone and stepped through the swinging-door of the building belonging to Orton.

Chris was making so much noise he never heard the door being kicked in, or the heavy footsteps of the S.W.A.T.-team storming up the stairs. He never even noticed the long blond standing inside his office until he nearly bumped into him with what was supposed to look like a very rockstarry jump, but in fact looked more like a frog hopping around.

"What the hell are you doing, Chris?" Adam was laughing so hard he nearly dropped his gun. Even the faces of the though-looking cops, who were now quickly surrounding Chris and searching the office for weapons and explosives, were adorned with all sorts of grins.

His face fell the instant he bumped into the hard body and realized he was not alone anymore, his mood making a 180° turn when he whirled around to come face-to-face with his own personal nightmare, the cops surrounding him nothing more than a blur to him.

"C... Copeland." He wasn't that tough now anymore, all alone, stripped down to his boxers, the seconds ago bursting stereo suddenly turned off and leaving them in complete silence.

"It's really nice to see you again, Chris." The name rolled off his tongue in a snarl, the handcuffs clicking into place without Chris even registering the movement as he stood frozen in place.

"What the... What are you doing?"

"Handing you over to the law, Irvine." The cops around them had cleared the office, only finding pills and booze where they had hoped to find guns. But it was enough to take him with them.

"You've no right to do that." Finally, he started to struggle, all his survival-instincts kicking in, though it was by far too late for that now.

Again Adam started to laugh. "I got every right Chrissy. Let's start with the possession — and if I guess correctly the use — of illegal substances, I got evidence of drugs-trafficking, possession and trade in stolen weapons, complicity to murder and I can go on with that list for as long as you like. I just wish that stupidity was illegal too, because that alone would get you locked up for life, my dear old friend."

Chris snarled. "You motherfucking piece of shit! You…"

"You better want to stop that, Chris, or do you want insult of an officer in function to that list too?" Adam threw the raving and screaming man one last grin over his shoulder. "By the way, Mike asked me to say hi!" With that he was gone. A few seconds later the car sped away and it wouldn't slow down until he left the state. He'd already done the majority of the paperwork beforehand and officer Hennig would make sure everything else was taken care off once Chris sat behind bars. For him the case had been over the minute he'd seen Chris' perplex face. Now, he just wanted to get out of the town he despised so much.

On the other side of the street you could just make out two rather satisfied men making their way out of the brick-building, binoculars carelessly thrown away into a trash can as they watched the nightmare slowly coming to an end. Only when Chris was finally pushed into the backseat of the police-car, Mike's body completely relaxed and his lips twitched up into a truly genuine smile... A smile that would soon fade away.

* * *

Randy was curled around Cody, arms around the boy, who was still sniffling in his drugs-enhanced sleep. Randy felt kind of bad about drugging him, but it was the only way he could get Cody to calm down, to stop screaming, to stop clawing at his own face. He didn't feel all that well himself. After all, Ted had been a friend for a long time and Randy, just like Cody, couldn't help wondering what had brought on Ted's suicide and how much of it had been his fault. But Randy at least had his voices whispering comforting things like "_The boy has always been weak…. He never deserved to live…. Ted deserved to die for putting his dirty hands on your boy…." _

So, Ted's dead didn't do much more than lower his spirits. The thing that really bumped him was what it did to his lover. Somewhere in the sane part of his mind he wondered if Cody would ever heal again. They probably had to abandon the lab. Cody would never set foot in there again. And someone had to clean up Ted's body soon before anyone else found it and decided to investigate.

Hopefully Barrett would be there as quickly as he had promised to be. It had taken him a good five hours until he'd decided to mix some pills in Cody's drink, five hours in which he had done everything to distract the boy, to calm him, but nothing had worked. It teared him apart to see the younger man that broken and sometimes he wondered if Chris had been right all along, if he'd really gotten weak. The constant buzzing of his phone brought him out of his thoughts though and he cursed whomever had to interrupt them now. Quickly yet carefully scrambling off the bed to catch the phone before Cody would wake up again, he snatched it from the night-stand and barked a whispered "What?" into the line, instantly flinching when he heard the shuffling of the sheets next to him.

"Orton, what the fuck took you so long." Chris was almost screaming into the phone, the high-pitched noise he made damn near woke Cody up.

"Be quiet, you moron. It took me hours to get Cody to sleep."

"What are you now? His babysitter? I told you, you were getting soft."

Randy pressed the disconnect button and threw the phone in his lap. The nerves of that idiot, the next time he saw him he would show him who the fuck was soft. He groaned annoyed when the phone started buzzing again and beside himself he answered it.

"What the fuck do you want?" Randy barked, but softly, his hand caressing the form next to him. "If you disturb me for something stupid again, I swear."

"Why the fuck did you hang up? This is my one phone call. I had to beg to make another one!"

"You're one phone call? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you get arrested, you fucking retard? What did you do? Smoke dope out in the open again?"

"Nope… This is real. Courtesy of our boy, Mike by the way. I bet they're on their way to you now, too. Anyhow I need you to call our lawyers…" But Randy never heard what Chris was saying. All he heard was the voices screaming in his head. "_We told you the boy is bad news. You should've finished him off long ago. He's got you now. He'll take away everything you've ever worked so hard for: first your business, then your boy... and then your dignity. You've gotta get rid of him before he can do any more harm._"

"Randy? Orton, FUCK! Are you even listening to me? You gotta call our lawyers. They'll find a way to get me out of here again. There's no way Copeland's evidence can keep me behind bars." But Randy had already left the comfort of Cody's room, a scribbled down note — barely readable — telling the young man that he'd be back soon and that he loved him, no matter what.

Mike at the same time had been celebrating his victory over Chris with Jake. Lying on his back, caressing Jake's arm that was lazily slung over his chest, he was already trying to figure out how to get rid of Orton as well. Mike wanted something sneaky and fast, but Jake was fighting every suggestion.

"Come on, Mike, you promised me this! Orton is mine!"

"I know babe, but that would make a lot more sense if that wouldn't risk you getting killed as well, or arrested I might add."

The grin on Jake's lips melted away and he pulled his arm away, rolling onto his back. "So you don't think I can do this?"

Mike sighed. "I never said that, Jay. I just think the risk is too high."

"So you expect me to simply shoot him in the back? It's not enough, Mike! Think about what he's done to you! I wanna make him hurt for that. I wanna make him suffer."

Mike felt his contentment sip away and he sat up looking for his jeans. "I told you never to mention that to me again. But if you know better, you can decide what to do. I have an appointment now anyway." The ice in his eyes as he stared down on Jake made the younger man cringe. It didn't change his mind, however. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted it.

"Do you want me to come?" He realized that picking a fight with Mike was a bad idea when he was in a mood like this."

"Nope, I need you to take care of that dead body in the lab. Somehow I doubt if anyone has been smart enough to do that." The smile on his face was back, but not as bright as it had been before. He leant down for a quick kiss and left their house only a few minutes later.

Randy had no idea where to look for that son of a bitch first as he stormed out of the lab, barely registering Wade leaning over the dead body of his once best friend, mind swimming with all the options he had and hadn't. At least the tall Englishman was out of the picture for a while, leaving only Mike and Jake to handle, and he was sure the gun he carried around ever since his last fight with the blonde would handle that little problem. For Mike however, he had other plans. That bastard would finally learn his lesson today.

Two bars and three of their illegal fight clubs later he was still none the wiser, his rage growing with each passing minute he'd searched the streets. He'd called Wade somewhere in between to make sure Ted's body was gone, remembering to tell him to check on Cody before he had hung up again. The report had come 5 minutes ago, the Englishman just stammering something along the lines of 'Still sleeping. Having obviously nightmares' before the line had gone dead. He always forgot loading his phone.

By now he was almost driving around aimlessly and continued cursing left his mouth. Going back was not an option. This rage needed to be satisfied. When he drove into another alley he noticed two familiar guys standing in the front yard of a big Victorian house. He recognized Koslov and Hawkins, Hunter's goons. He resisted the urge to shoot the two bastards on the go and decided to remember the location of the house for later. They had been looking for the head-quarters of the rivaling gang forever now, and Regal was just one more guy Randy had some unfinished business with. Too bad Hunter had disappeared.

He would've gone on, and maybe even gone home, if he hadn't seen a familiar car parked a little farther up the street. That black SUV sure looked a lot like Mike's car. He parked his own car two blocks further and walked back to the ally. The short walk and the time he'd needed to break into Mike's car and slip into the backseat had given him enough space to think about a game plan and by the time he closed the door behind him, he was rather satisfied that his brilliancy had not completely gone to hell yet. Now all he had to do was wait.

* * *

It felt like an eternity to him until he heard footsteps come closer and could hear the unmistakable sound of Mike's voice, obviously chatting away with that no-good bastard of a boyfriend, Randy's body instantly tensing up and his hand going to the back of his jeans to pull out the gun he was carrying, just in case. The door in the front opened and closed, the sound of a seat-belt snapping into place made him suppress an incredulous chuckle. That boy had nerves. From where he lay in the backseat, he could make out that Mike was alone, silently thanking the stupidity of his employee and whomever had brought him out of his hole at this time of the day. This was going to be way too easy now that the brunette was alone and suddenly his game-plan changed altogether. Though raping him in front of Jake's eyes would have probably been a lot more fun, the thoughts that came to his mind while Mike started to drive down the street were just as satisfying.

Very quietly he sat up and raised his gun. He carefully pressed it against the back of Mike's head and grinned his sick grin as he met Mike's terrified eyes in the rearview mirror. "Hello Mikey. Long time no see."

Mike didn't answer. He gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles went white and he kept staring at Randy. Randy chuckled when he saw the wheels turning behind those pretty blue eyes and laughed full out when he noticed desperation sinking in. So the mouse knew he was trapped, cute.

"You're awfully quiet, Mike. I'm not used to that." Again he laughed at the flash of anger in Mike's eyes. So the mouse had some fight left in him. Good, that would mean all the more fun for him.

"What do you want, Orton?" Mike sounded calm, but his eyes betrayed his fear. So much fun…

"I want to make you hurt…" Randy thought it was just the voice in his head speaking, but the panic in the blue eyes betrayed otherwise. Good, very good… "Now be a good boy and turn right here."

God, he was going stir-crazy. For an hour now he tried — repeatedly — calling Mike and his lover just would not pick up his phone. He always did. He always answered and IF — by some miracle — he didn't, he'd at least call him back... seconds later. But nothing. He should've been back by now. A long time ago already.

Jake was raking a hand through his already messed up hair, for the uptenth time in the past 60 minutes, pondering on what to do. He knew Mike was meeting up with Regal, but he had not the slightest idea where. He had no fucking idea where to start, where to look for him, how to fucking get in touch. Hell, he did not even know Regal's number in order to find out where they'd met.

And Cody would not answer his fucking phone either.

The brunette had stirred awake when his phone buzzed for the hundredth time, blinking his puffy eyes open in an attempt to adjust to his surroundings. He had no idea how he had fallen asleep. Not even remembering what day it was in that moment. All he knew was that his friend had.. had... God... he could not continue the thought, the nauseous feeling in his stomach returning instantly as he sat up in a rush, hands tightly clutching the sheets he was wrapped into.

Randy. He needed Randy. Now.

Mike's head was hurting. Worse than it had ever done before. His back was stinging heavily. His ribs. His stomach. His lips. He could still vividly feel Randy's fists and his feet hitting his burning flesh, left and right, not pausing until he'd blacked out. And even then, of that he was sure, Randy had not stopped.

He groaned as he heard the faint sound of his cell-phone, hand inwardly moving towards the back of his jeans but finding it empty. Shit. He'd no idea how he had even survived Randy's assault. Surely that wicked man had not intended to let him live. Not judging by the words he'd so maliciously whispered into his ears in-between raging shots with the back of his gun.

Bloodied and beaten, begging for mercy, whimpering, writhing, until the body had been lifeless and cold. Or so he had thought as he had left Mike behind. He had not had that much fun in a long time, remembering Mike's pleading eyes when he'd put the gun to his head. That had only been the beginning though.

Now that that son of a bitch was dead, he needed to get away. As fast as possible.

Grab Cody and leave this fucking town. That was his plan as he was rummaging through the drawers of his house, throwing everything into a suitcase he would possibly need for a new start. A new identity, a new life. Now that the cops had Chris they'd soon come for him, too. And if not, he was sure Jake would as soon as they found Mike's battered and broken body.

Jake was almost out of the door of their newly purchased house when he felt his phone vibrate against his thigh. He scrambled quickly to get it out, so quickly that it slipped past his trembling fingers twice before he finally got a grip on it, breathing a sigh of relief when he read the caller ID.

'Babe, where are you? You should be back for over an hour already. How did the meeting go? Do you want me to meet you somewhere?' That and so many other questions ran through his mind as he opened his cell-phone and pressed it tightly to his hear. A barely audible "Yeah," made it past his lips as he was waiting for the voice of his lover to reach his ears, but all he got was a pained groan.

"Mike?"

Mike had no idea how he'd gotten to his phone. The small device lay a good 10 feet away from him, looking as if it had seen better days already. His numb fingers had only needed to press one button as he had thankfully saved Jake on speed-dial. His whole body was shaking as he waited for the other to pick up.

He could've died. Considering how he felt, he must be quite close anyway. The pain had thankfully made enough room for the numbness to take its place. The blood on his face, on his arms, on his shirt had already dried, sticking to him like a second skin. However, when he whispered Jake's name, the pain came back to remember him of the split lips and the probably broken chin, and all that came out was a groan before he threatened to black out again.

„Mike? Baby? Mike? Where are you? Mike? Is everything okay?"

His heart would've warmed up at the show of affection and care from his lover, but he was too busy fighting nauseousness than to care at that moment, his vision blurry and his head throbbing.

"Randy… he… got… to me." Even speaking hurt, voice raw, throat dry, and he was not even sure if he was even making any sense... if he was really speaking or if he just imagined it.

"Oh god... that bastard! Mike... where are you? You need to tell me where you are!"

"The lab... burn... it down... Burn the lab... and then…"

"Mike? What the fuck? Just tell me where you are!"

Cody had calmed down slightly when he read the note Randy had left, his breathing back to normal and his heart beat somewhat steady at least because he knew his lover would be okay. He could barely remember anything. He didn't know how long he'd been out or how long Randy had been there, but his heart told him that it was all okay. That it would be all okay.

Until he got that call.

"Babe…, pack your things. We're leaving town."

He had barely recognized Randy's voice at first, still slightly dizzy and overwhelmed with emotions, dried tears still clinging to his flushed cheeks as he rubbed his eyes furiously to get rid of the sleep.

"Randy? Where are you? What are you…?"

"Just do it! Damn it, Codes! We don't have time! Pack your things and come to my house. We need to get out of this hellhole."

Of course he'd flinched at the harshness in the elder's voice, fresh tears threatening to fall and a sob spilling from his lips as he hugged his knees, drawing them closer to his numb body.

"Babe… Sorry... Listen. Just... we really need to get away from here. The cops caught Chris and I'm sure they'll be on our heels soon, too. Grab whatever you need and meet me here. We'll go away... together. Start a new life. Just the two of us. Just, PLEASE... hurry up."

The sight Jake'd been greeted with when finding his lover had made his blood boil. The pained whimpers and groans of discomfort had made his heart ache. Sitting in the car with the usually so vocal and good-natured brunette laying on the backseat of the car , his lids closed and his arms firmly wrapped around bruised ribs whimpering at every movement of the car, Jake saw red. This time, Randy had gone too far. This time, no one would be able to hold him back. But first things first. Burn the evidence before taking revenge. That's what Mike had taught him.

Cody'd packed what little belongings he'd still left in the small room upstairs in a hurry and had left the bag in the lab with the intention to come back in a few minutes. He just needed some fresh air, the memories all too fresh and too painful. After he'd once again emptied his stomach outside the heavy iron-door, he'd just walked away deciding to quickly buy them some snacks and drinks for their trip. Who knew how long they'd be on the road. Where they would go. His head was still swirling, painfully pounding as he made his way back towards the place he'd once called home, barely registering the blaring sound of sirens rushing past him.

* * *

**A/N: ONLY ONE CHAPTER LEFT. WILL EVERYONE SURVIVE? BE GOOD, REVIEW AND YOU FIND OUT! **


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: ** **So, this is the end. For real. I've no idea how we made it till here, but we are very glad we did. We've laughed, cried, fought, made up and killed just like our characters. **  
**Thanks to everyone who stayed with us through all the craziness, to everyone who read, who loved this story as much as we did and most of all to our loyal (and not so loyal) reviewers. You helped us to keep going and we appreciated each and every single one of your reviews. They made us better.**  
**So enough of this. I know you're all dying to know how it all ends. We'll stop rambling so you can go on reading. Please let us know what you think of it. **

**WARNING: If we post a Warning it'll already take away the most of the outcome. So... You get nothing.**

**DISCLAIMER: As always not real, not ours, yada yada yada... We only own the rights to this story and our very, very sick and twisted minds. I also used to own a head full of insane muses, but most disappeared. If you found any of them, you can keep them, but treat them right, give them loads of booze and don't be surprised if they kill each other :)**

* * *

**Epiloque**

Images of Randy, bloody, bruised, battered, in his bedroom, their bedroom, the only place they had for privacy, the only place where Randy would let go, would let his guard down; their bed, covered in blood, the walls, covered in blood, vomit and piss all over the carpet. Images of his lab, his life burnt down, his flat, the rat-hole he had lived in but still called his home, little Teddy, all gone, burnt down, gone down in flames, his whole life, everything he had lived for. His parents not wanting him, nowhere to go, Mike betraying him, taking everything he had, backstabbing him, ripping his heart out, Jake laughing at him, at his naivety, at his blinded love, Mike standing right next to him, making fun of him, using him.

It was like a blur, as if he was in another world. Standing in the middle of the street, shaking, cold, brown air ruffled, blue eyes dull, the young man stared straight ahead into the air, into the nothing. Wide eyes blinking wildly, his head moved slowly to the street underneath his feet.

*Where am I? What am I doing here?*

Gaze drifting up his legs, small red stains covering his jeans; further up to his waist, shirt hanging loosely out of it, one bigger red stain on its lower right; further up, lean fingers shakily holding onto a gun.

*Why am I holding a gun? What have I done?*

Eyes blank, wandering up to his chest, more red stains; sleeves of his former white button-up-shirt ripped; back forward again, staring down the street into the big, wide emptiness.

*How did I get here? Where is everyone?*

The helicopter above had its search-light spotted on the young man on the street. Slowly the area filled with ambulances, police-cars, TV-trucks, cars coming from every direction, moving towards him… and he did not budge one bit, not one inch. For Cody it was all just a dream.

* * *

"Local News: In the case of young Cody Garrett Runnels who was accused of murder two weeks ago, the jury unanimous pleaded guilty. The judge decided for death penalty. It was the quickest process in the history of Atlanta.

Mister Runnels was arrested only two weeks ago after he killed Mike Mizanin, Jake Hager, Wade Barrett and Nick Nemeth – members of the legendary Mafia. Their leader, Randal Keith Orton was found dead in his own bedroom only hours before the massacre took place. Chris Keith Irvine was charged guilty of dealing with weapons and drugs only a week before.

After the young man killed what seemed to be his co-workers, he also assaulted the parents of Mr. Orton, killing both of them with the same gun he had used to shot the others.

Mr. Runnels date of execution will be made publicly known next week."

The blond grinned, running a hand through his freshly cut hair as he leaned back against the cold steel, placing his legs on the bench in front of him, chuckling to himself. Who would have thought that the young, naïve, innocent brunette was going to be the one to snap out of all his employees?

"IRVINE! You've got a new cell-mate!"

* * *

**THE (not-so-happily-ever-after) END**


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